Rift World (Dragon Age: Inquisition AU)
by Fawkesfire79
Summary: What would happen if the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition happened in our world? One minute, Evelyn Trevelyan is working a catering job in Central Park, the next she's surrounded by soldiers with guns trained on her, a rift in the sky, and a green mark on her hand. Together, her group of vastly different heroes must find a way to defeat an enemy unlike anything our world has seen.
1. PROLOGUE

**TITLE: **Rift World - A "Dragon Age: Inquisition" AU

**SYNOPSIS: **What would happen if the events of Dragon Age: Inquisition happened in our world, specifically in the middle of New York City?

One moment Evelyn Trevelyan is working a catering job in Central Park, the next she's surrounded by soldiers with guns trained on her, a rift in the sky, and a green mark on her hand crackling painfully. Somehow, this unlikely heroine must seal the breach and defeat an enemy unlike anything the world has ever seen. To do this, she must rely on allies who alternately fear and revere her, as well as a world that is as inclined to kill her as follow her lead.

This story is a mix of action-adventure, urban fantasy, and romance as the characters of the hit game "Dragon Age: Inquisition" are brought over to the real world, and have to deal with the consequences of magic entering our previously mundane existence.

**CHARACTERS:** Cullen, Cassandra, the Inquisitor, Iron Bull, and whoever else I can squeeze in along the way. :D

**PAIRINGS: **I have a few thoughts there, but you'll have to wait and see

**NOTE**: This is a piece of fanfiction and therefore the characters themselves belong to Bioware. The words and new situations they face in the real world belong to me. Copyright is a weird thing, but this is my story and I'd appreciate if I didn't see it copied elsewhere.

~*Enjoy!*~

* * *

><p><strong>PROLOGUE<strong>

"So Evy, did you ever think you'd work flipping burgers after college?"

"You know, technically, I'm not flipping burgers here."

"Bah, semantics. Burgers, catering, what's the difference? See what a Liberal Arts degree gets you?"

I sighed. The catering tent I was working inside was separate from the festivities and I appreciated the distance. A people person, I was not, and thankfully my boss understood. This section of Central Park wasn't anything new to me anyway. "Aren't you supposed to be out there serving someone food?"

Leanne threw me a cheeky grin. "Natural lull in the party out there, so I thought I'd come and bug you."

"Oh, joy." There was no way I was letting her know I appreciated the distraction, so I just stuck my tongue out at her. "How's the event?"

"Boring." She sat down heavily on the chair beside me, digging the heel of her hand into her cheek with a heavy sigh. "Who knew politics could be so annoying?"

I raised my hand with a laugh. "I worked on a campaign for my high school President and that pretty much soured me to the whole deal."

"Huh, I never guessed you'd be political."

"Honestly, I try to avoid it when I can."

"And yet, here you are."

"Leanne, this is my _job_." I sighed. "I'm catering a political function, not trying to buy favors. Anyway, it's not like I have much of a choice what assignments we take."

"True enough." She popped one of the truffles on a nearby tray into her mouth, then gave me a cheeky grin.

I rolled my eyes. "You know Margo doesn't like it when you-"

It was as though the air around me vibrated with a sound that you felt more than heard. A horn, so bass it rattled my bones, rang out from all around me. Instinctively I covered my ears, snapping my head toward the entrance. "What the hell?!"

The sound only lasted a couple seconds and cut off as abruptly as it began, but I heard screaming outside. "No, don't go out there," Leanne called from beside me, but I ignored her and rushed toward the tent flap. I opened it just as bright light spilled out from every direction, blinding me. I shielded my eyes with my hand as I heard a scream behind me.

Then it felt as though a freight train slammed into me; I went hurling backwards, slamming against the kitchen equipment. Pots and dishes of food went flying all around as the breath was forced out of my lungs from the blow.

Another scream came, this time from Leanne. Sitting up, I gasped for breath and turned to look at her as a bright green glow enveloped the whole room. The other girl was still standing, frozen in place and staring out the ripped tent entrance. I reached out toward her and tried to say her name.

"Lea-"

"DON'T MOVE!"

All I could feel was pain. It was as though someone had hooked me up to an electrical chair and pulled the switch; every muscle in my body was on fire. I arched backwards, opening my mouth to scream, but nothing would come out. Images more than thoughts flowed through my brain: _guns trained on me, __soldiers, stop make the pain stop please._

Lightening arced through my body again from my left hand as, somewhere around me, a boom like thunder shook the air. _It hurts, oh God it hurts so bad..._

_"_Get the Major, tell her we found...something."

The terrible pain that had wracked me disappeared all of a sudden, as if someone had turned the switch. Boneless, unable to more, I rolled over onto my back, staring upwards into the cloudy sky. My brain could process little except the multitude of guns trained on my face. Even those however faded as, blessedly, darkness overcame me. I fled gratefully into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.


	2. CHAPTER ONE

**CHAPTER ONE**

Every muscle hurt.

At first, I didn't want to move at all: it felt better to cling to unconsciousness, let the blackness take away the pain. But reality invaded, stealing me away from the darkness.

Green light flared nearby me, and I finally opened my eyes to see who had come in. The room was dark, the only light from a set of thick candles in the far corner. Groaning, I sat up, taking a shaky breath as I looked around.

The first thing I discovered were the cuffs around my wrists. They were heavy, made of a thick chunk of metal and, unlike the regular handcuffs I was used to seeing, there were no chains or hinges to allow movement. I might as well have been in stocks for how much movement I was granted.

Someone had placed me on an old military-style cot and placed a blanket over me. I had no idea how long I'd been out and levered myself upright to stand when bright green light pulsed from my left hand.

With a panicked cry I flung myself away, rolling off the cot and landing on the cold cement floor. My arm seized, hand stuck in a claw as green electricity arched across my fingers and down my wrist. It was over in a second, but I couldn't stop shaking. The thick stocks beat against the floor as I scrambled back against the wall, not sure what to do.

Across from me, the only door into the room opened. I tensed, remembering the vague sight of guns pointed in my direction, but a thin figure in white entered the room. He didn't look at me at first, shutting the door quietly behind himself, before turning to look at me. "Good. You're awake."

It took me a moment for my muddled brain to figure out what he was carrying: an honest-to-goodness _torch_. The fire made lazy shadows on the walls around me, as if keeping the green light at bay. With all the strangeness happening however, I took this in stride, trying to stay focused on the real problems.

"What happened?" My voice was raspy, as if I hadn't spoken in too long.

"We were hoping you could tell us, actually." Keeping himself on the other side of the room, the newcomer lowered himself to crouch on the balls of his feet, as if bringing himself down on my level would make me feel better.

I wasn't about to tell him it was working.

"What do you remember about your mark?"

"Who are you?" I countered, trying not to let my fear show. This thin man didn't seem threatening, but he had a calmness about him that somehow told me he could take care of himself. "I'm not saying anything until..."

He lifted both hands in a gesture of peace and I stopped. "Fair enough. I am Doctor Solas, and I've been taking care of you since you arrived at our facility."

"But where am I?"

Whatever answer he might have given me was cut off as someone banged loudly on the door. I jumped as an accented woman's voice barked from the other side, "Why is this door locked? I'll shoot the handle off if necessary."

The doctor gave a sigh and stood up once more. "The key is at your feet, Major," he said softly, taking a step sideways away from the door.

There was a brief silence, then it was shattered as the door banged open. I flinched as a dark-haired woman in full combat gear strode into the room. "I was to be the first notified when the prisoner awoke."

"I happened to be in the area and thought I would check on her." The doctor's voice was calm and even. "The timing just turned out perfect."

"Of course." Heavy sarcasm laced the woman's words, but she dismissed him and turned the full power of her gaze on me. "You'll tell us what you did and how to stop this now, or I will kill you now and figure it out myself."

"What?!" I struggled upright just as, from somewhere outside my cell, something boomed against the walls. The green mark on my hand flared, the light sizzling down my arm, and I fell sideways in agony.

"I do not think she is a willing participant, Cassandra," Solas observed from his corner.

"You will address me," the military woman growled,"by my title of Major, Doctor, or not at all." Heedless of the green sparks still arcing around my hand, she reached down and grabbed my restraints, hauling me upright. She was surprisingly strong, but I still struggled to get my balance. My legs weren't working right, whether due to the green light or something else I couldn't tell.

"What did you do?"

"I don't know!" I exploded, matching her obvious anger with my own. It was a much better emotion than fear, and God knew I had enough to be mad about. "The last thing I remember was being in the catering tent with Leanne when this big explosion happened. Then your soldiers found me and I woke up here!"

Her lip curled. "Lies. Where were you between then and now."

"What is going on? I don't even..."

Someone insinuated themselves between me and the military woman. "That's enough, Cassandra."

I was immediately let go, setting me off balance again. I managed to keep on my feet and watched as an unknown redheaded woman faced off with the Major. "We need her," the newcomer said in soft tones.

Cassandra shook off the newcomer's grip angrily. The redhead turned and faced me. "My name is Leliana. We need to know everything you remember about what happened during the explosion." She jerked her chin toward my hand. "What does this do?"

"I don't know, I don't know anything." I reached up to push my hair back and almost bashed my nose with the restraints. "I don't know what's going on, I just...where am I?"

"There's no way you are innocent." Cassandra's angry voice floated to me from across the cell. "Just kill her and be done with it, we should have done that when she appeared."

Leliana's brow twitched in the smallest gesture of annoyance, but she kept her attention on me. "You claim to remember nothing?"

"I told you, one minute there was an explosion, the next I remember seeing your soldiers holding guns on me." I raised my bound hands between us. "What _is_ this thing?"

Leliana shared a look with Cassandra, who finally seemed to be subsiding. "You truly remember nothing?" the military woman said, skepticism showing clearly on her face.

"About what? How long have I been out?"

Another look between the two women, then Cassandra stepped forward. "Come, I'll show you _what_."

Her grip on my arm wasn't gentle, but I bit my lip and stayed silent. If it got me answers to whatever was happening, I'd take a little roughing up.

For now.

She dragged me through the door and along a short brick-lined corridor. It wasn't until I exited the door and ascended the wrought-ironed-lined steps that I realized I'd been in an townhouse basement. This section of street was unfamiliar to me but I recognized the architecture of the rowhouses enough to know I was still in the city.

Except...not even the worst neighborhoods were this bad. It was like I'd stepped into a war zone; fires were lit up and down the street, black smoke rising high in the air. Several buildings had been damaged by explosions, the facades crumbled and burning. I stared down the street in shock. "What happened here?"

Cassandra turned me forcefully around. "Just look."

With an angry breath I looked where she indicated...and my breath froze. Green light cackled around my hand, the palm throbbing, but I was too shocked by what I was looking at.

From our vantage point, we were high enough for me to look down on Central Park. Toward the east end, a green haze rose into the air from something on the ground that was obscured by nearby buildings. It was the sky however that made my heart skip a beat.

The clouds circled like a hurricane around...something. An emptiness that made no sense to my eyes. Green mists swirled lazily down from the maelstrom toward the ground, almost beautiful but utterly alien.

"It appeared four days ago following that explosion. Ever since then, it's been nothing but chaos. We only found you this morning after you fell out of a rift."

I could barely comprehend what I was seeing, let alone the words Cassandra had just said. "Wait, it's been how long since the explosion? And, a rift?" I gestured upwards, still in shock. "Out of that?"

"Four days." She let me go but moved around so she was facing me. "That large storm in the sky we are calling the Breach, and it seems to be at the center of everything that's happening. The rifts are much more numerous, smaller instances of the same thing spread around the city, and possibly beyond. One of which you came through.

"So why don't you tell me where you've been for the past three days?"

My mouth worked soundlessly; I couldn't think of a thing to say. High above there came a great explosion, too far away to be heard, but the mark on my hand burst to life. Green energy arced wildly about and I fell to my knees as everyone else around me fell back a step.

"Major," Solas said from behind us, "if we are to try this, we must hurry."

I laid my forehead on the cold sidewalk, eyes shut tight as I tried to control the spasming in my hand. It hurt so much that tears threatened; pins and needles spread out from my palm as if someone was slicing me with a million tiny knives.

I felt more than saw someone crouch next to me. A part of me expected it to be doctor Solas but was surprised to see Cassandra beside me. Ignoring the light from my palm, she unlocked the thick cuffs from my wrists. "If we're going to have any chance," she said in a low voice, for the first time missing any sarcasm or arrogance, "we are going to need your help."

The words sounded grudging but her tone suggested honesty. I looked up into her dark eyes, then back at my hand. Despite the light emanating from the green slash in my palm, everything seemed intact. Somehow, despite the discomfort, seeing that there was no damage helped me to compartimentalize and push through the pain until it was only a dull throb. "What do you need me to do?" I whispered.

Cassandra didn't immediately reply, instead helping me onto my feet. Her touch wasn't as rough as earlier for which I was grateful; I suddenly felt as if I'd run a marathon and needed to rest.

My eyes travelled up to the sky. No way that was going to happen any time soon.

"Leliana, gather men and scout ahead. Find us the most direct and _safest_ route to the park." She looked back at me. "We're going to have to walk, nothing electrical is working any more. The only reliable transport now seems to be animals, and we've yet to find any horses in Manhattan."

"Of course." The torch from earlier made sense, but I pushed it all aside for the moment. There would be time to think on everything...if we survived.

_God, did I really just think that?_

"Alright," Cassandra called to the men around her, "let's move out."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've been a fan of the Dragon Age franchise for years now but, man oh man, this latest one just has me over the moon. I'm loving the story and, for the first time in what feels like forever, I'm positively _driven_ to write some fanfiction. So to my normal, contemporary non-fantasy romance readers, I hope you won't mind me taking a diversion into something that I'm passionate about, an alternate universe fic for DA:I.

For all you DA fans out there, I'm still playing the game (seriously, last night I restarted yet ANOTHER character just so I can romance Cassandra!) so I'll be writing this between playing the game. Lol, I hope you understand. :-D


	3. CHAPTER TWO

**CHAPTER TWO**

"This isn't everyone that made it, right?"

"Our group?" Cassandra shook her head. "No, the bulk of our forces are down closer to the breach itself. We're trying to keep it contained."

"But what about..." I swallowed. My neighbor lady, the old man who walked his little dog past my window every morning, the school bus of kids that always stopped near work. "Everyone else? Civilians, non-military?"

"Most of them have evacuated the city, or they never made it out."

She said it so matter of factly that I felt anger spark in my chest. "What do you mean never made it out? What else is going on?"

As if in answer to my question, an unearthly howl rent the air. The cluster of soldiers around us immediately stopped and raised their weapons, looking all about. Cassandra grabbed me and pushed me up against a nearby building. "Quiet!"

I didn't need to be told twice. My heart threatened to burst from my chest, but I saw nothing. Far in the distance, an all too human scream rose and was cut off.

"Clear," Cassandra said in a low voice as I covered my mouth, suddenly feeling sick.

"What was that?" I whispered, keeping close to the military woman.

"Something we definitely do not want to meet." Cassandra peered around a corner, then motioned everyone across a street. We all crossed as swiftly as possible, any previous thought of fatigue gone with the adrenaline now coursing through my system.

"What happened after the Breach opened?"

"Chaos."

I waited for her to elaborate but she kept silent. "Seriously," I persisted, "what are we facing?"

"I don't know." Frustrated tinged every word. "I've been in war before and this is something far worse."

A soldier from the front of our group worked his way back to us. "Major," he said in hushed tones, "we need another route."

She held up a hand, and as one the entire group halted. I looked around to get my bearings, and my eyes fell on something large lying in the middle of the road. At first I thought it was a dead horse because it was the right size, but then I remembered Cassandra saying there were no horses. Plus this, thing, was hairless, and oddly shaped for any horse I'd ever seen.

...and the ground beneath it was bubbling.

"Get inside the shop, now," Cassandra hissed, and everybody poured into the pawn shop beside us. The door was unlocked, and I tried not to think of what might have become of the owner.

"What is it?" I whispered, just as another unworldy scream cut through the air. This one was far closer than before, and to my horror something unfolded from the dark body outside. It rose, far taller than any horse, with two arms and a lower body like a slug. The torso turned toward us, and as another scream sounded I knew we'd been spotted.

"FIRE!"

Guns went off all around me, tearing through the window. Glass shards exploded around me and I dropped to the ground, not knowing what else to do.

"Protect the girl!"

I looked wildly around for anything that could be used as a weapon as two guards closed around me. They ushered me behind the counter, taking up positions around me. "Stay down!"

Helplessness threatened to overwhelm me. Keeping low, I looked for anything I could find that might be used as a weapon. There were drawers behind the counter and I opened them all, searching for whatever I could find.

I found several guns but ignored them because there was no ammo to go along with the weapons. Several antiques, old coins - the search was proving fruitless.

A man cried out nearby me, and I turned in time to see one of the men attacking the slug monster out front pulled out through a window. I couldn't tell what happened to him outside but another soldier took his place immediately, yelling loudly and raining a hail of bullets.

Whimpering, I looked through the last drawer and came on a possible option. Removing the old katana, I pulled the blade part of the way out and checked the edge with my thumb. Just pressing my finger against the edge had the blade slicing through the skin, and I judged it adequate enough.

Something clattered to the floor behind me, and I looked back to see the guard who'd taken up position on me hovering in the air. She looked down at the large root-like object jutting from her chest, its entire length covered in blood. I screamed as she slumped, dead, then her body was thrown toward the mass of soldiers at the front.

They staggered, turning their guns back toward the new threat. I hunkered down on the floor, hugging the sheathed katana to my chest as bullets tore through the wall above me. The creature outside screamed again, then I heard a crash as it made its way in through the window.

The creature beside me was completely different from the horror outside, but just as terrible. It was humanoid in that it had arms and legs, but that's where the similaries ended. The appendages were far too long and the joints bent in strange ways. It was silent in comparison to the screeches of the slug creature but much faster; it moved in the blink of an eye, but its attacks hurled the remaining soldiers to the ground.

Over the counter, I saw Cassandra still standing in the middle of the shop, unloading a pistol directly into the new creature. There were no soldiers around her, and I saw the creature crouch ready to pounce.

With a cry, I drew the katana and swept upward with both hands, standing at the same time. My momentum carried the blade upwards, biting into flesh and...whatever else the thing was made from. The instant the blade bit into flesh, a putrid odor filled the air, making me want to vomit.

The blade continued up through the torso, and black ichor spewed out of its cavity. Now it gave a cry, of anger or pain I couldn't tell, but it fell back into the doorway it had appeared through.

A soldier cried out from the center of the room, and I realized the other creature was in the room. Nobody was shooting now, probably still stunned from the other attack, and as I watched a tentacle wrapped itself around a terrified soldier near me.

Yelling in anger, I circled the counter and sliced the sword toward the tentacle. Unlike the humanoid monster, the blade cut through this like butter, hitting neither bone nor anything else remotely tough. It drew back and gave another scream and, unable to think of what else to do, I attacked it again. The sword once again slid through easily and, unlike the bullets, seemed to actually do serious damage.

"Pull out knives," I heard Cassandra call out as the creature retreated through the window. I had the creature's full attention now, and its gaze made my heart freeze with fear.

Think of it as a jelly monster. I stumbled away from the arms, slashing out, and sure enough they were as soft as the rest of the creature. A hand fell away, falling to the ground in a wet splat that reminded me of a water balloon. Whatever I was doing was working, but my bravery had crumbled. I had lost the element of surprise and, as I wasn't a fighter, it was all I could do to evade its attacks.

From its side, another hand formed from the jelly-like body. It held it out, and in front of my eyes conjured up fire above the palm. I was fenced in between the creature and a counter; I had nowhere to hide.

The arm pushed back to hurl the fire just as Cassandra rose up behind it, a knife in either hand. With an angry cry she stabbed down with both at once, her hands being enveloped by the gelatinous material making up the demon. It cried out once more, writhing beneath her grip, but she just pushed deeper. "It has to have a brain, a heart," she called out, meeting my eyes. "Hack it until you find its center."

My muscles burned but it didn't matter. I made an arcing slice through the "torso" first from the left, then from the right. It was the third downward slash where I hit the first remotely solid thing I'd felt in the creature. It gave a groan, not a scream this time, and arched back, finally dislodging Cassandra.

Whatever we had done however had the desired effect; any shape was lost as it pooled into a puddle of liquid creature on the floor. The remaining soldiers still on the ground scrambled backward away from it as it slowly spread across the tile.

Any relief was short-lived as Cassandra asked, "Where is the other one?"

I whirled around, realizing I'd forgotten about the humanoid one. Cassandra rushed into the hall, followed by two of her braver men. In the void of the battle, I heard the groans of the wounded all around me. The fever that had sustained me was wearing off as well; as adrenaline wore off, I realized suddenly how sore I was.

Cassandra appeared again through the door, a knife still in each hand. "The other one got away, and so should we."

A trembling began in my chest, spreading quickly through my body. The katana hung limply in my hand as I struggled to catch my breath. The Major seemed to finally notice I was armed; I felt her gaze scrutinizing me as I leaned heavily against the nearby counter. My legs had gone as wobbly as the beast had been, and that comparison was what sent me over the edge.

I found out quickly that I had little but bile in my stomach, but it still came out. Heaving, my belly roiling, I struggled to compose myself, but kept a careful grip on the katana still in my hand. As much as I wanted to find someplace quiet to just cry, I swallowed my nausea and fear to look for the blade's scabbard. I found it behind the counter, and while bending down to pick it up threatened to make me hurl again, I managed to keep myself from doing so.

"First time in a battle?"

Cassandra's question drew my attention back to her, and I gave a weak laugh. "Was that what that was?" I said in a faint voice.

"And that was just one of them. We're facing hundreds."

The trembling threatened to overwhelm me at her words, but I locked my knees to keep from collapsing. Fear wouldn't help me now, nor would running and screaming out that door.

Although the second option sounded incredibly inviting.

"We lost three men, and have four seriously injured."

Solas' calm voice seemed discongruous to the surroundings. He appeared beside the Major, a calm expression on his face and an ichor-laden bat in his hand. Cassandra gave him a bemused look. The doctor indicated the weapon with a small shrug. "I used what I could find."

Cassandra shrugged one shoulder. "Doctor, accompany the injured back to the headquarters."

"If it's any bother, I'd rather accompany you. I need to see the effects of this magic up close."

At the word magic, the Major gave him a sharp look. "What we are facing isn't magic, Doctor," she said in an annoyed voice.

Solas just shrugged. "It's as good a description of any I've heard lately."

Cassandra just snorted and turned to me. "Nice sword work."

For some reason, the phrasing struck me as funny. "Bet that's not something you thought you'd be saying in today's modern age."

"Well, considering all modern tools, including it seems guns, didn't make any impact on those creatures, I'd say it's appropriate." Her gaze stayed on my hand around the katana's grip, eyes narrowing. Finally, she seemed to make a decision. "I guess you need to be armed as well."

My grip tightened on the cloth-wrapped hilt. I wasn't going to admit that having that sword in my hand was the only thing keeping me sane right at that moment. "You'll have to find one of your own."

"Later. Right now we need to move."

She began barking orders to her men while I stayed where I was against the counter, still trying to catch my breath. The blade was covered in that ichor that made up the monsters and, finding a hand towel inside one of the remaining cabinets, cleaned it before returning it to the scabbard. I had no belt to tuck the sword inside, but I doubted I'd want to let it go anytime soon.

Solas was studying me, and I met his gaze briefly before looking away. The green line on my palm crackled, its energies subdued but still active. It seemed like an open wound - certainly felt like one at times - but there was no blood. I felt it all though, every pop and crackle.

Magic...

When I was a freshman in college, my roommate dragged me to see a fortune teller at a local Renaissance faire. She had explained what the lines on my hand were called and meant. The vertical line my mark followed was the fate line, although I'd forgotten what exactly it represented.

Of course, the fortuneteller must have been phony since she never predicted any this. But still, the thought stuck with me. I wasn't sure if it meant anything, but it wouldn't leave my head.


	4. CHAPTER THREE

**CHAPTER THREE**

"It occurs to me I never got your name."

I gave a tired laugh at Cassandra's statement. "Maybe because you never asked?"

She didn't answer me immediately, and I didn't press. Talking was a luxury we couldn't afford at the moment; I wasn't sure we could survive another meeting with those creatures like at the pawn shop.

Leliana's scouting party wasn't back yet, and we'd learned the cost of rushing. Now we moved forward slowly but steadily, not taking the direct route as before.

Cassandra's hand stayed on the hilt of the broadsword she'd attached to her belt. It seemed whoever had owned the pawn shop was keen on swords, and when the Major had seen the weapon she'd immediately called dibs. It was long and looked heavy, but somehow the look fit her. The other soldiers had picked up a few blades themselves, although all still carried guns over their shoulders.

Finally, she broke the silence. "Perhaps I was a little hard on you when we first met."

I couldn't stop my incredulous snort. "_Perhaps_?"

"See it from my perspective: we had spent nearly three days fighting these monsters and learned that only bad things came from these rifts. Then you show up - what were we expected to believe?"

"Point taken. My name is Evelyn Treyvalyn, although most of my friends call me Eve."

"I am Major Cassandra Pentaghast."

I rolled my eyes, cracking a small smile. "There. That was easy enough, right?"

We fell into silence again, creeping forward slowly. It had been decided the streets were too open so we were moving through the buildings. I had my sword at the forefront, even though I was in the middle of the group. It still felt weird having that thing in my hands, but I felt safer this way. I'd seen how the guns hadn't worked against the creatures, although I had no idea why.

Solas stayed on my right, the baseball bat tight in his hands. His eyes roamed the corridor as much as any soldier's, yet he somehow managed to maintain the same calm aura.

Wished I could say the same thing.

We heard the soft shuffle of footsteps coming our way and Cassandra signaled a halt. Leliana's red head appeared, followed by the two scouts shed taken with her. "We have a problem. The only exits empty out on top of one of the smaller rifts."

Cassandra cursed. "We need to turn around and find another way through then."

"We also saw the bulk of our forces holding out over near the main breech. Looks as though they're throwing everything at it to keep it contained."

A troubled look fell over Cassandra's face. "Our army is in the same city, yet we have no way to communicate to the various groups."

Solas stepped forward. "Major, we need to test her mark against something smaller first before we tackle the breach."

"Test it how?" I asked, unwilling to sit back and blindly follow orders. "What am I supposed to do?"

"That's what we need to find out." Solas turned to Leliana. "Was the rift heavily guarded?"

"We didn't see many of those monsters right next to it," the other woman said cautiously, trading looks with Cassandra. "That doesn't mean they're not there, or that it isn't an ambush."

"We need to take that risk." Solos turned back to Cassandra. "We must find out what it does before we reach the Breach itself."

I stayed silent this time. Memories of our last run in with those monsters, and the idea that there may be a round two so soon, kept me mute. Even Cassandra looked troubled; I saw her glance at me, disappointment written on her features. "He's right."

"But if we lose her here," Leliana protested, "any chance we might have at the larger..."

"If we can't figure out what that mark even does, it'll do us little good. We can't go in blindly."

Panic threatened at the thought of more monsters, but I gripped my sword tightly and kept silent. I refused to look at anyone, too afraid that if I saw any sign of compassion on their faces I'd break down begging not to go.

I was afraid, but a girl had her pride. Maybe bottling up that fear right then wasn't good in the long run, but it was the only thing I could do to stay sane.

"Leliana, lead us to the rift."

I closed my eyes for a quick second and let out a shaky breath. I could do this, I had to do this.

We didn't have a choice.

The group moved more quickly this time, sure of its route. Nobody spoke; I hoped I wasn't the only one scared spitless about encountering more of these monsters. I'd never signed up for war, certainly not for anything like this.

Then again, if I was being fair, neither had the others around me.

The double doors led out into a back parking lot. As we exited the building, I got my first up close view of one of the rifts. I wasn't sure what I expected, but it was strange and, well, beautiful. The way it moved, the ever-changing aspect of the shards, made me wonder at the science behind it. Everything about it was otherworldly, from the way it moved to how it hovered in the air.

"We think it's some kind of dimensional tear," Solas murmured beside me, as we made our way slowly across the lot. "If you look close at the rift itself, you'll see that it doesn't exist only in three dimensions but also a fourth, possibly more."

"Science lessons for later, Doctor," Cassandra interrupted, turning to me. "Okay, we'll set up a perimeter, make sure we won't be interrupted-"

Twin screeches sounded around us, breaking the careful silence. The rift above us crackled to life, then hazy branches of mist flowed out, touching the ground near the base. Immediately, the concrete began to bubble, just like we'd seen outside the pawn shop.

"Prepare to defend yourselves!"

Cassandra's cry was all the warning we got before all hell broke loose. Where the mists touched the ground, demons burst upward as if from underwater. One, two, three - each different from the other.

I gripped my katana, but Solas grabbed my arm. "Quickly, to the rift. We have to get closer!"

The last thing I wanted to get close to was that terrible beautiful thing hovering above us, but I forced myself to follow the doctor. Around us, the soldiers attached the monsters, creating a distraction of which we took advantage.

Something akin to a bad of liquid fire shot past me. I could feel the intense heat as it flew between the doctor and myself, and the pained cry of the soldier it was aimed at. Fear bloomed, more intense than anything I'd ever experienced before. The smell of burning flesh hit my nose and my stomach roiled again, like in the pawn shop.

This close to the rift, I could hear it crackling and shifting. My palm itched, the same pins and needles as before. "What do I do?" I shouted above the noise.

"Raise your hand and aim it at the rift."

I did so, not sure what to expect. The mark on my hand crackled to life, and I felt something build inside me. Then green energy shot out of my palm, directed at the rift. I cried out in shock as Solas exclaimed, "It works!"

Around me, particles began flowing into the rift. At first I thought it was rubble until I saw one of the green demons fly past, scrabbling at the air, and squeeze into the rift. The other creatures had stopped fighting too, as if it took all their energy just to stay on the ground.

Then suddenly, the energy released from my hand. I gave a cry of disappointment as the mists once again formed around us. "Move out of the way," I exclaimed, pushing the doctor away as the ground under our feet began to blacken and bubble.

"We have to try again," Solas shouted above the noise of the fight.

"No shit!"

One of the skinny humanoid creatures, like what we'd seen in the pawn shop, noticed us. I raised my sword, ready to fight, but Cassandra threw herself between us and the demon. "Close it, now!"

I peeled my left hand off the katana hilt and aimed it up at the mark. The same surge as before moved through me, then green light cackled out of my hand. This time, I saw a pattern to it, something I could possibly control, and kept the beam's aim toward the center.

The body of a dead soldier, the head and one arm missing landed beside me. It almost succeeded in breaking my concentration but within my flinch I felt something shift, as if I'd finally slid the lock all the way in. Roaring filled my ears as I stepped forward, then again.

Like an implosion, the rift disintegrated. The mist congealed, a green lava that poured from the hole, then it was gone. A green hazed remained for a second, before that too dissipated.

Only then did I finally remember to breathe. I inhaled deep, almost a sob of relief, and looked around. The creatures were all gone; whether killed or sucked into the rift before it closed, I couldn't say.

"I can't believe that worked." Cassandra appeared beside me, still brandishing her longsword. She was covered in black ichor but she didn't seem to care. "But will it work on the Breach itself?"

"We'll have to find out," Solas replied. From nearby came another scream. "I would, however, recommend we leave the area as quickly as possible."

"Right. Anyone who's not injured, help the wounded. We need to move."

"Sir." One of the scouts approached Cassandra. "Heathcliff, sir, he..."

The Major's gaze fell past me, and I saw her features twist ever so slightly. I closed my eyes, knowing what, or rather who, was behind me. There was no way I could look at the dead soldier's body without emptying what was left in my stomach.

"He comes with us. I'll carry the body." Cassandra jerked her chin toward the others. "Get the wounded up and moving."

* * *

><p>I received more practice sealing rifts than I ever wanted. We passed two more, neither of which we could avoid before being spotted. Two more soldiers died as a result, one of which was sucked into the rift still in the clutches of a demon.<p>

I would never get that image out of my head for as long as I lived.

By the time we reached the third rift, we'd found the bulk of the military fighting to contain the chaos. This close to the Breach, demons were everywhere.

We found a group backed into a corner by a rift and the endless creatures pouring out of it. They were in a bad way, backed into a small courtyard, but managed to hold their own. A blond man with sword longer than Cassandra's and the battered remnants of a door as a shield stood at the entrance, holding back the tides.

Apparently, our group wasn't the only ones who'd adopted a more medieval approach.

Cassandra dove into the fight with abandon while I focused my energies on the rift. Each time I closed one of these, it took something out of me. I felt empty, beyond tired. It was a strange feeling, being this drained, something I'd never experienced before.

Still, I raised my arm and aimed at the rift, allowing the energy to flow through me. Each time I closed one, I had to find the sweet spot, like fitting a key into a lock just so. It was quicker up close, and Cassandra stayed close to me, picking up anything that made it our direction.

I heard a man shout from nearby, but couldn't break my focus. Cassandra was ahead of me a ways, and I could feel the mark almost there to close the breach. Just a couple more seconds, and I'd have it...

"Eve, look out!"

Hearing Cassandra call my name distracted me, and I felt the key slip out of reach. _No!_

Then an arm grabbed me around the waste, pulling me back against a hard body. I saw something dark and large move across my vision then fire exploded around the edges of a large door. The liquid fire splattered sideways and around us.

Oh God. That had been entirely too close.

"Cassandra!"

"I'll get it, protect her!"

Hands grasped my shoulders, turning me around. "Are you hurt?"

The clipped British tones demanded a reply, but I wasn't sure on the answer. I looked up to see the blond man from the courtyard, still holding the burning door as a shield strapped to one forearm. His other hand held a sword, and the whole situation was so surreal that it took my drained mind a moment to refit the puzzle pieces. "I, what? Yes, no, I'm fine."

My answer must have amused him because his lips turned up in a lopsided smile. "I'll watch your back, just finish whatever it was you were doing."

Right. Shaking off that near-miss, I took a deep breath and aimed my hand back at the rift. I'd felt the key somewhere inside there already, I just had to... _There!_

Floating bits of demon sped past me toward the rapidly destabilizing rift. Mists at the center congealed, dripping from the opening like ghastly plasm, then with a small implosion the rift collapsed.

Cheers came from all around me, and it hit me that I had much more of an audience this time than just Cassandra's group.

"Nicely done. But, eh, what exactly did you do?"

British-shield-guy, my brain had named the big blond man. The nickname amused me for some reason. I felt drunk, more than a bit disorganized, but...wait, he'd asked a question.

Oh yes, easy answer at least. "I don't know."

Nailed that pop quiz. ...wait, what?

The blond man frowned. "Are you alright?"

Oh goodie, another easy answer. "Nope."

I turned to walk away but it was like my legs wanted to go in two different directions. The makeshift shield fell to the ground as thick arms swept me off my feet. Instinctively, I laid my head on his shoulder. _So tired..._

"Cullen." Cassandra's voice reached my ears. "Where are you taking her?"

"To a medic. She almost collapsed."

"We need her to seal the Breach."

"She barely closed this rift, she's too weak to take on the other."

"The longer we wait, Commander, the more of our men we lose."

That made British-shield-guy pause. Some of the fog cleared from my head. No, his name is Cullen. It was so hard to think, but I pushed against his chest, determined to stand on my own.

The blond man looked down at me, arms tightening for a brief instant before he set me carefully onto my feet. "I can do this," I murmured, then swayed into Cullen's side.

Doubt flashed across Cassandra's face. That look was like a swift kick in the rear; in a very short time, I'd come to respect the woman's opinion. I took a deep breath, clearing out the last of the cobwebs from my brain.

Well, mostly.

"I can do this," I repeated firmly, pulling myself together. "We need to, there's too much riding on us for any delay."

Cassandra was the first to finally relent. "We have a lull in the fighting here. I'll find Solas and assemble my team to go as soon as we can."

"Here," Cullen murmured as Cassandra walked off, "take these. They may help."

I looked down to see him holding out a small energy bar and bottle of water. "I really don't..."

"You're in no shape to do this right now, but Cassandra's right. The longer we delay, the more men we risk losing, or we may lose containment entirely." He sighed. "I'm not even sure if we're making any dent, haven't heard from anyone since we arrived."

Munching on the bar actually helped almost immediately. Cassandra had mentioned four days had passed since I'd been awake - or at least remembered being awake.

So very confusing.

"Do you have another bar?" I asked as I opened the water bottle. "I think it's really helping."

He dug into his jacket. "Last one."

"Appreciate it."

"If we get out of this," he said as I tore the wrapper open, "you'll have to buy me dinner as repayment."

I paused mid-chew, staring at him, and saw the moment he realized exactly what he'd said. He shuffled in place, rubbing the back of his neck, and I just grinned. "Why Commander, is that a date?"

"I, uh..."

His obvious embarrassment was endearing. It felt good to smile in the middle of all this horror, but before I could tease him further Cassandra appeared. "We need to talk strategy."

Cullen cleared his throat, not meeting my eyes. "Coming," he said, brushing past me.

I sighed and stayed in place for a long moment, staring up at the giant maelstrom in the sky. It was a lot further away from our previous location than I'd originally believed. That, combined with our slow, roundabout path, meant we still had a ways to go.

From here, though, with it practically right above us, the whole thing seemed almost too big to be real. That it was on my shoulders, up to _me_ of all people to fix it, was like a cosmic joke with no punchline.

How could I be the one who determined the fate of all these people when I'd failed at everything important in my life?

"Eve?"

I turned to see Leliana watching me. The scout's eyes seemed to see through everything, but she just inclined her head toward where everyone was congregated. "I think they're waiting on you."

I rubbed my arms, suddenly chill. The food and water had helped my weakness, but the doubts wouldn't go away so easily.

"I'm coming."


	5. CHAPTER FOUR

**CHAPTER FOUR**

I wasn't ready for this, but it was too late to back out.

"We split up into two groups. One will make a direct assault on the heart of the breach as a distraction while the other group takes the longer way around. Both groups, should each survive, meet up directly beneath the Breach and we take it out."

"The question, then, is which way will the girl come."

Cassandra's statement drew a few eyes to me. I kept my chin up, ignoring them all. It felt weird being under the scrutiny of so many people, warriors whose decisions made or broke this battle. I'd never been in the company of soldiers like this, the hard core kind like you saw in movies.

They were intimidating, to say the least.

"We're going to have two fights: the way up there, and the Breach itself. There's no way it'll close easy; I've fought around these, they seem to know when they're threatened and spew out more of those things. We know what we're facing on the road directly there, but have scant reports about this roundabout route."

"If we take her through the heart of the fighting," Cassandra countered, "there's a chance the girl will die."

"There's a chance of that happening no matter the route." Cullen pointed his finger at me. "Right now it's a matter of the route we know, and the one that we don't. The enemy knows her, and has to know what we intend. Even a distraction at the front may not be enough if they know she isn't with us. If they see her out front, that may give the flanking team a better chance of making it through with limited casualties, thus giving us more men beneath the Breach."

"The girl is not a soldier, Cullen. You can't expect her to hold her own in the middle of a battle."

"She's done a bang-up job so far. _None _of us were trained for this sort of conflict, or enemies like this."

"You know, _the girl_ has a name."

I hadn't meant to speak up. So far, I'd done a good job of hanging in the background listening to them bicker, but their obvious frustration had leeched inside me. All heads swivelled to look at me, and Cullen had the good graces to look contrite for ignoring me. Cassandra, however, just said, "We're trying to keep you safe."

"At the expense of your men?"

The other woman blinked, as if she hadn't expected me to contradict her. I took a step forward, moving into their circle. "You've discussed the merits and drawbacks of both plans long enough, we need to make a decision."

"She's right," Cullen said. I could practically feel his gaze burning holes into my head, although I couldn't look at him. "We have to do _something_, not waste time sitting here and arguing."

Cassandra let out a growl of frustration. "What would _you_ have us do then?" she demanded, glaring at me. "It's your life at stake."

_Oh, crap._ They wanted _me_ to make the decision? Even Cullen seemed to approve because he was watching me expectantly. The chill in my bones intensified.

Sadly, I figured a decision to _Run away, run away! _wouldn't cut the mustard with this group.

Taking a shaky breath, I turned to the blond man. "How's morale among your troops?"

He clearly wasn't expecting that statement. "Ah, poor, actually. None of us have ever seen anything like this before, and until you came we couldn't see any way to make it stop."

"Would..." I cleared my throat. "Would it help if I was in the middle of the fight, if they saw a way to end things?"

"It might. Could give them hope, at least." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Certainly gave me hope seeing you close that other rift. Might save some folks too."

"Yeah." I turned to Cassandra, who was watching me through narrowed eyes. "I'm going to head in directly with Cullen's men. Hopefully that'll give the other group a chance to meet us at the center."

At first I thought Cassandra was going to argue my answer; her lips pursed into a fine line, then she nodded. "Fine then, you'll escort Cullen and I from the front lines."

I stared at her in confusion. "You won't be leading the other group."

"I'll be leading them," a voice came from behind me, and I saw Leliana raise her hand. She looked completely calm at the prospect, and I couldn't help but wonder what her rank was. Unlike Cullen and Cassandra, she wasn't in any uniform, yet seemed to be as much a part of everything as the two military leaders.

"You need to leave now if we're to do this," Cassandra said, and with a nod Leliana disappeared. "Gather up your men, Commander. We're likely going to be doing more melee fighting then they're used to, these creatures seem more vulnerable to physical attacks than firepower."

"We've noticed the same thing, which is why I went sword and board." He cracked a smile. "Never thought my childhood D&D days would have any practical real-life applications."

Cassandra gave him a bemused look, one I could understand. I couldn't quite picture the tall blond man before me playing board games about dwarves, elves, and the like.

Then again, in a nice twist, some of that might come in handy for our current situation.

I'd made a mistake. Oh God, I was _so_ going to die.

Nothing could have prepared me for the push down into Central Park. I thought the streets of Manhattan had been bad, but the park...

It felt like something evil waited behind every bush, under every bridge. Worse yet, green explosions rained down from the Breach above at random, attacking us from the air as well as spawning new rifts all along our route. Demons like out of childhood nightmares attacked us from all sides, and we had to deal with them all because otherwise they'd follow us.

Closing the Rifts helped. The weakness I'd felt before didn't manifest itself quite as badly, and I'd have to thank Cullen afterwards for the food and water. It had helped more than I'd originally thought. But I wasn't ready for this; nothing in my life could have trained me for the fighting. The biggest way I helped was when I slowed the creatures by disrupting the rifts.

Our progress was glacial. It felt like hours as we slowly made our way through the thick of things toward the center of the Breach. I had no idea what to expect so focused on the moment, trying to keep other alive, avoid the falling explosions, take care of the constantly appearing rifts...

It was exhausting.

Cassandra stayed by my side the whole time. At some point she'd acquired a shield of sorts, a metal trash can lid that helped deflect the physical attacks. It had taken quite a beating but managed to hold together and stave off attackers.

We still lost men and women though, no matter what we did. One explosion to my right had wiped out an entire group that had been gathered close. Cassandra had pushed me forward when I was rooted in place, unable to move from sheer horror at the screams and burning bodies. "Move! You're keeping us alive, go!"

I went.

Rifts and the creatures weren't everywhere; there were pockets of peace and emptiness, most surprisingly close to the Breach. The scenery changed as we neared the blast epicenter. Trees were little more than charcoal, the rocks and masonry blackened by the blast. The worst were the bodies littering the ground, up in trees, everywhere. Charred, burned skeletons, some of which looked melted into the ground.

"So many," Cassandra said softly beside me.

"There was a political rally going on," I replied, remembering the explosion. "My group was set up as one of the caterers, Margo said it was a good way to get contacts."

The realization that any of these corpses could be my coworkers made me swallow back the bile in my throat. I tried again to remember what had happened to Leanne, the last person I remember seeing alive before the soldiers found me.

Nothing.

"We're almost there. Keep moving."

This close to the Breach, I couldn't tell the time of day. The giant swirling mass above blotted out all sunlight; it could be midnight or midday. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

"Oh good, you made it!"

Leliana ran up beside us, followed by the troops. Relief flooded Cassandra's face. "Did you encounter trouble?"

"Minimal casualties, Major. Your diversion worked."

Above us, the Breach spat out another ball of green. It arced like a meteor above us, heading into the city. Amidst the city came another another explosion, and the rumble of building collapsing.

"The blasts are getting farther and farther out." Cullen appeared behind us, sword in hand. He'd apparently at some point also picked up a metal trashcan lid, although a blow had sheered off a corner of it. The Breach continues to grow, we need to stop it now."

As if on cue, a dull roar carved through the air, and my left hand spasmed painfully. It felt as though someone had drawn a knife across my palm, and I cradled it to my chest. "How do we finish this?" I murmured, looking skyward. "There's no way I can reach that."

"You may not have to." Solas appeared at my side, much to the astonishment of Cassandra. "There's a rift directly below it, and I'm certain they're tied together."

"Doctor." The woman's word was a reprimand. "You were supposed to stay back outside the park."

"I thought I could be useful and followed the second group." Dismissing Cassandra, he turned to me. "The rift at the center is massive, easily the biggest I've seen."

"How do you know that?" Cassandra asked suspiciously. "Nobody has been inside the center, at least none that have returned."

"The City is full of tall buildings, Major. Nothing a good lens or telescope cannot pick up. It is, however, much higher than most rifts we've seen so far."

Disappointment and fear laced through me. "This power, whatever it is, depends on proximity. If it's too far away, I may not be able to close it."

"We have to try." Turning to her men, she signalled them with a raised sword. "I will keep whatever may be below the rift distracted. Cullen, you make sure she'd protected."

"Got it, now let's move."

Several of the men and women around us yelled what I guess were battle cries, then we were running headfirst into the mix. I stayed quiet, not wanting to attract any attention when the baddies hit. And I knew they'd be there.

The rift itself came into view first. Solas had been right: it was the largest I'd seen yet, and high. As in, several stories in the air high - Manhattan had buildings shorter than this thing's location.

_Shit_.

"Oh sweet Jesus," someone nearby me exclaimed, and I lowered my gaze from the rift. In the center of the carnage, something akin like a large stone was curled at the base. Crouched at the epicenter of the blast, it might have been mistaken for a large stone. A large, scaly, bony stone.

Oh, crap.

To my horror, it unfurled, rising up on two legs. The creature looked like a cross between an alligator and...I wasn't sure. Godzilla?

Then it unfurled and raised itself up on hind legs, rising up as tall as a building. That massive head turned in our direction, and let out a long, piercing roar that shook the ground. It was at least four stories tall, covered in rock-like scales, and

Yup. We were so dead.

"Get those fifty cal guns set up now," Cassandra yelled near me. "Cullen, get her in there, we'll try to hold this thing off."

I couldn't stop staring at the creature. The thin katana blade in my hand was no match for this thing. I was rooted in place by fear and an overwhelming sense of despair. We really were all going to die.

"Come on!"

Cullen's hand on my arm jarred me back to the present, and reminded me I had a mission. Another roar pierced the air and I whimpered, but forced myself to follow Cullen and his men. The ground shook with every step as the creature started for the troops.

Gunfire louder than any I'd heard before flared behind me, and I ducked low instinctively as the creature reeled back.

"Commander, we have incoming."

Huge sections of the ground beneath the rift roiled and bubbled. Demons rose to the surface and immediately attacked. I gripped the katana tightly, but Cullen herded me sideways. "The men will take care of these, you need to get into position."

The thought of people possibly dying for me didn't sit well, but I followed him closely. He kept that metal shield up as we circled around the base of the rift, following the ever-changing paths between the blackened bubbles on the ground. Across from us, the giant alligator-like Godzilla thing tore through the soldier ranks as if looking for something or someone, but the rattle of the guns kept up.

We got to one corner near Harlem Meer, close to the crumbling Fort Clinton walls. The rift was high above the water, changing and shifting. "Can you reach it from here?"

I raised my hand, aiming the mark. As if drawn by a gravity of its own, green energy shot out and into the rift. Almost immediately, however, I knew we had a problem. "We're too far away, I can't get a good lock."

"Do whatever you can, I'll guard."

The green beam from my hand warped and twisted, arcing frenetically through the air. Biting my lip, I focused on the rift, trying to find the sweet spot like with the others. It felt however like I was trying to thread a needle from ten feet away: even if I did find the proverbial keyhole, I wasn't sure if I could push through.

Beside me, Cullen cursed, then I was lifted off my feet and pulled sideways. Where I'd stood, green crystals like those above shot out of the bubbling ground. "Keep going," he yelled, releasing me and turning back to the enemies around us as I tried to shake off that near miss and focus on the rift.

Gritting my teeth, I tried to will more energy behind the beam. Incredibly, that seemed to work; I could almost feel the potential link intensifying, but I wasn't hitting anything. Not even a twinge to give me a clue as to hot or cold.

To my right, I saw a large orange blob rise up from the ground. Terrified, I nevertheless kept my gaze on the rift above me, even as I saw a ball of fire appear above one of those false arms. "Cullen," I yelled, but he was on the opposite side of me dealing with one of those skinny things.

_Oh God please, not like this, I'm so close._

I saw the arm flick, then the ball of fire was coming straight at me. Cullen turned at my scream but it was too late, too late...

Something green shimmered between me and the creature, then the ball of fire exploded around me as if it hit something. Tendrils of liquid flame spread over some invisible dome-like structure, flashing around me then dissipating.

Even Cullen stopped, meeting my incredulous gaze with one all his own. "What was-"

"Focus on the rift." A familiar voice came from beside me, but before I could even register who it was a hand grasped my wrist, aiming the mark upwards. As if by magic, the rope of energy coming out of me thickened, becoming much more focused on the rift.

Unsure what Solas had done but realizing now wasn't the time to question, I renewed my search of the rift, trying to find that sweet spot. _Yes, I think, is that?_

The pieces began to fall together, as if I were picking the tumblers of a lock one at a time. Behind me, I heard the large alligator creature roar again, then the ground beneath me began to tremble with increasing strength. _It's coming, I'm out of time._

_Then let's do this._

I screamed, venting all my fear and despair and desperation and helplessness as I felt the lock click into place. The energy curled around the opening, pushing inside as hard as I was able, then the world went white.

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi everyone! I hope you're having fun with this little labor of love. While I've been a Dragon Age fan for a long time, somehow Inquisition has grabbed me and...wow, the creative juices are flowing. Did you know that I did the first four parts (over 8k words) yesterday afternoon? I'm writing this story with a fervency I haven't seen in a very long time, and finally remembering why writing is so FUN! (Trust me, when it becomes your day job, some of the lustre wears off)<p>

Honestly, after yesterday's marathon writing session, I spent some of today searching the interwebz for the perfect "cast" to play various characters. All I know now is that I think the perfect Solus would be Benedict Cumberbatch (or maybe as Corypheus!), I want Tom Hardy playing SOMEBODY, and if I could insert Tom Hiddleston (Loki from "Thor") in there somewhere (hmm, Dorian maybe?!), I'd die a happy lady. :D

Any suggestions for who can play other characters IRL?

Keep your eyes open for more, I'm not sure if I have another 8k day in me today but hopefully this 3k segment will be worthy. I'll try to get more parts out as fast as I can, enjoy!


	6. CHAPTER FIVE

**CHAPTER FIVE**

* * *

><p><em>Leanne!<em>

_Evy, they're coming, they're going to get us._

_Get this thing off me and we can go._

_I need help, please someone help u-AAAARGH._

_LEANNE!_

Something metallic clattering to the ground and I awoke suddenly, bolting upright.

Beside me, someone cried out in alarm. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

I shook off the lingering sleepiness and looked around. I was in a bed, that much was certain. Sterile white walls surrounded me, and medical equiment sat piled in a corner. So, a hospital then. But which one?

A thin woman was beside my bed, hastily picking things up off the floor. She gave me a fearful look, as if afraid what I'd do. That confused me: when had I become someone to fear?

Looking down at the ground, I saw that she'd spilled a tray of food, likely for me. "Let me help," I said, pulling the covers off my body.

Moving however made her even more nervous. She skittered backwards, bumping into a metal cupboard. "I'll get the doctor," she squeaked, fumbling for the door.

I watched her leave, my mouth agape. Crap, was this the reception I was going to get from everyone? Frowning at the thought, I stepped gingerly off the bed, making sure everything worked right before moving toward the attached bathroom.

My body ached, but not too badly. An IV was taped to my arm, the clear tube not attached to anything, but obviously there if they needed it. I wondered what had happened while I was out, but pushed it out of my mind.

The lights still weren't working, so I left the door open and tried the faucets. Nothing came out, but beside the sink was a pail of water and a sponge. The water, on inspection, seemed clean at least.

_Oh, joy._ Going medieval, indeed. I guessed this meant working toilets were out too, but I'd make do.

Sighing, I stared at myself in the mirror. My red hair was a mess, and I was filthy, so at least nobody had given me a bath while I'd been out. Counting that bit of privacy as a small blessing, I used the sponge and a nearby clean cloth to wipe away the persistent grime on my face and neck.

My clothes were gone and someone had put me into hospital scrubs, but I'd worry about that later. I cleaned off everything I could with the provided soap and water, wishing I had enough to wash my hair. Even a brush to get out the tangles would be nice, but I smoothed out the knots with my fingers and put it back into a ponytail.

A knock came on the door outside, and I peeked out the bathroom to see a man in a white jacket comes inside. "In here," I said, gaining his attention.

"Well, I'm certainly glad to see you up and about." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "You gave us quite a scare for a bit there, didn't think you'd make it."

I stopped everything I was doing and stared. "Was it that bad?"

The doctor blew out a breath. "We didn't know what _it_ was, which made treating you harder. But, you're up and about, so no complaints from me."

"Where's everyone else?" I asked, tossing the sponge into the sink.

"Waiting for you to wake up. There are some clean clothes on the chair beside your bed. I'll take you to them when you're dressed, they'll want to see you."

I wasn't sure where they got the clothing - it looked like a mashup of military and civilian duds - but it fit, mostly. At least this time I had a belt where I could secure my sword to my waist instead of carrying it by hand everywhere. It kind of made me feel badass to have that strapped to my hip, like I could take on the world.

Unfortunately, that feeling evaporated quickly the moment I stepped out of my room.

The hall was packed with people, most sitting along the walls. When they saw me however, all chatter ceased and I became the center of everyone focus.

_Ooooh boy_. It took everything in me not to bolt back into that room.

"This way," the doctor said beside me, and wordlessly I followed him.

_Is that her?_

_Thank you Jesus, she's still alive._

_Wow, I was expecting something more._

_She's so young!_

My heart knotted at the words whispered around me. I'd never been one to crave attention - being a wallflower had been fine all my life so far - and this was beyond strange. I could feel the weight of their collective gazes on me and they made me want to shrivel in a ball and disappear. It wasn't until I'd left the corridor that I realized the rest of the hospital wasn't as packed as the hall: apparently, many folks had been waiting for me to wake up, camping outside my door.

I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Nearly every room we passed was full, and for the first time I wondered just how many people were still in the city. Manhattan's normal population would never have fit inside this place, and I wondered how many had escape, and how many had died.

It was a sobering thought.

Voices I recognized filtered through the halls, and as we drew closer I heard Cullen and Cassandra arguing.

"We need to get these people off the island. Find someplace more defensible and try to contact whoever's in command now."

"No, what we need to do is seal that Breach. It should be our first priority, we have no idea if we'll have another chance like this again."

"I'll leave you to it, then," the doctor murmured beside me, taking his lead as I watched the two officers bicker.

"Hey," I said softly, and the older man paused. "Thank you for helping me."

His lips twisted cynically. "With everyone that would have lynched me had I failed, I'm glad you survived."

What an odd thing to say. I stared after him as he walked away, not sure how to take that statement. It just added to the confusion of everything - what was happening to the world?

"We need a way to move supplies. Manhattan has mounted police as well as other horses pulling the tourist carriages. If we can get the NYPD on our side..." Cullen broke off when he saw me and stood straight. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"I really couldn't have been that bad off, was I?" Rubbing the back of my neck, I approached the table they were gathered around.

Cassandra still had an angry expression on her face, but it softened somewhat when she saw me. "You did well out there."

"So we got it? The Breach is closed?"

Her jaw clenched. "No. Not completely, at least. We closed the rift there, but the hole in the sky remains."

My shoulders slumped. "Shit," I muttered, leaning heavily on the table between them.

Cassandra sighed beside me. "My thoughts exactly."

"It wasn't all for nothing," Cullen said. "It seems stable at least for now. No more rifts are opening and it isn't spewing those projectiles. We take our victories where we can."

"I guess." Pushing myself off the table, I folded my arms. "So, what next?"

"We have more and more refugees arriving every hour," Cullen said, shooting Cassandra an angry look. "We need to take care of them, get them out of the city someplace safe."

"We would be safer," she shot back, "if we closed that Breach. There has to be a way."

"There might be bigger problems to worry about."

Everyone turned to see Solas enter the room, flanked by two boys, neither of which seemed any older than ten or so. He ushered the boys inside and closed the door behind him. "Now, Elliott," he said to the oldest boy in soft tones, "why don't you tell these people what you told me?"

Both boys just stared wide-eyed at me. Feeling more than a little self-conscious, I gave them a small wave. "Hey."

"Oh wow," the youngest one said in awed tones, "you're _her_, aren't you?"

Beside me, Cullen coughed as my cheeks flamed. A glance at my left hand showed the green mark was still there, not nearly as active as it once was but still visible as a bright green slash on the skin. They'd obviously seen it, so hiding it behind my back wouldn't make a difference at this point.

Still, it felt somewhat better to do so anyway.

"Yes she is," Solas said after a moment where I couldn't think of what to say. "Why don't you tell her what you saw on your way here? Maybe it can help her defeat the storm in the skies."

Both boys seemed pleased at the prospect of helping. I kept my smile pasted on my face, still horribly confused of what my part in things was now but unable to let the boys down.

"Yeah see, we sneaking through these apartment trying to see if they had any food when we heard someone else screaming outside. A girl was running down the alley beside us, followed by two of those demon thingies."

They said it so matter of factly that I wondered just how much screaming they'd heard in recent days. "Where are you parents?"

The youngest boy's gaze went to the ground, but the older boy's chin lifted almost defiantly. "My dad never came home from work, and mom wasn't home when Teddy and I ran off from school."

My throat worked in sympathy as the older boy Elliott continued. "Anyways, we were watching through one of the windows, see, and they had her cornered. She was screaming, all scared. Those things were huddled around her, then suddenly..."

He broke off, frowning, as if unsure how to say the next part. "She just, you know, kind of changed. One minute she was a girl, the next, she became on of those things. Got real big and glowed all green. Then she, or it, left with the other two things."

For a moment, we all stood there in shock. Only Solas seemed unfazed by the story, and gave both boys a pat on the back. "You did great, now why don't you find the cafeteria and see if they'll give you something to eat."

The older boy took his brother's hand and led him back to the door. Before they were out, the smaller one Teddy turned back and gave me a little wave. My throat clogging, I raised my hand in return, then they disappeared.

"Shit." Cassandra's curse was low but heartfelt. "You're saying that, that those _things_ are _us_?"

"There's more," Solas said, neither confirming nor denying Cassandra's words, "and I don't think you'll like it."

"None of us like the current situation, doctor," Cullen said in a resigned voice, "but we need answers, whether it's good or bad news."

"I think more of us are, as the boys said, changing. On a genetic level."

"Genetic?" Cassandra demanded. "How much so?"

"To the point where I have a four-year-old boy downstairs who appears to be growing wings."

More stunned silence echoed in the room. Solas let that sink in before continuing. "The hospital here doesn't have any DNA sequencing equipment, nor the electricity to run it, to prove my hypothesis, but it's all I can do. Also, I need to show you all something else."

He took off his glasses and set them inside his shirt pocket, then held out his hand palm up toward us. It was the first time I'd seen the man nervous, which in turn set me on edge. Solas gave us a quick glance, a line appearing between his brow as he cleared his throat. "Please understand, I am not sure how this phenomenon works."

Seconds ticked as we all watched. Solas' attention was focused on his hand, then a blue ball of flame appeared above his fingertips. Cassandra gave a muffled exclamation as Cullen withdrew the sword from his belt. My hand also went to the katana blade although I didn't pull it out.

"I discovered it quite by accident." How the doctor managed to keep his voice calm, I couldn't understand, but he might as well have been talking about the weather. "Perhaps I should have told you sooner, but I needed to know how far it went."

"Wait a minute," I countered, "was it you who shielded me from the blast beneath the Breach?"

"Yes, although that had been a spur of the moment experiment. Thankfully it worked, as did lending my power to close the Rift."

"So, you're trying to tell us," Cullen said slowly, almost reluctantly, not lowering his sword an inch, "that you've scientifically proven the existence of magic?"

"I've a ways to go before publishing any papers on the subject, but it's no longer outside the realm of possibility."

There was a brief incredulous silence, then Cassandra burst out laughing. "You expect us to believe," she said in a bitter tone, "that everything that is happening here is _magic_?"

"I don't expect you to believe anything, Major. I'm merely sharing my observations with you." He dropped his hand and the blue flame went out. "I've also conducted interviews with many of the refugees, and believe that, at the moment the Breach opened, we may have lost as much as ten percent of the human population."

"Ten percent!" Cullen exclaimed, at the same time Cassandra demanded, "What do you mean, lost?"

"As in, they dropped dead in their tracks, or became so changed their bodies couldn't take the strain and expired. It's all very preliminary based on patient interviews, and my statistical sample is far too small to produce accurate numbers..."

"Ten percent of the population is _dead_, just like that?"

Cullen's shock mirrored my own, but Cassandra looked troubled. "We had something similar happen to my people the moment that thing opened in the sky. Lost seven of my men instantly; they just dropped dead in their tracks."

Silence reigned again, as nobody knew what to say. Solas glanced down at the sword still in the Commander's hand. "Is that really necessary?"

"I'm not sure it isn't," Cullen said in a low voice.

The doctor's lips pursed, then he looked at me. "We need to make a decision on what to do soon. Focus all our energies on the skies, or take care of the people on the ground."

Both Cullen and Cassandra turned to look at me as well, and I blinked at them. _Holy hell, they're not asking _me_ to make that choice, are they?_ I fumbled for what to say and not look like a dumbass. "Do we know of any other way beyond what we tried to close the Breach?"

Cassandra's lips pursed. "No."

I turned to Cullen. "You said we have more and more people finding us. Do we have food for them all?"

"Not even close, which is why I wanted those horses. We can haul a lot more supplies around with them, plus move any larger equipment we may need to take when we evacuate."

"Okay then, you figure out the stable locations and we'll head out to get them. Cassandra, work with the doctor and see if you can find others like him. If we're going to close that breach permanently, I'll need a lot more power, magic or otherwise."

For a moment, I thought she was going to fight me. I almost wanted it, to be honest; to have someone else take control and make the hard decisions. Anyone but me. But she just nodded and, with a mistrustful look at Solas, marched through the door.

The moment she left the room, Cullen let out a breath like he'd been holding it. "That woman is downright scary," he muttered, and I couldn't agree more. He slanted a look my way. "If it's alright with you, I'd prefer it if you joined the scouting mission. You're our only weapon if we find any more of those rifts."

I gave a jerky nod and watched him as he left. Only Solas was left, watching me expectantly, and I really hoped he didn't expect me to give him orders. I did however have a question. "Did what we did out there matter?"

He lifted a shoulder. "I have no idea. If it's any consolation, the rift you aimed at did close and the Breach itself seemed to have stabilized. Only time will tell at this point."

I nodded again and, with a small bow of the head, Solas left the room as well. Alone, I fell back onto one of the couches and stared up at the ceiling. In what kind of screwed up world was _I_ the leader of anything?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Yay, I so appreciate all you readers who've stopped in to see this little story! I wasn't expecting many folks to read this honestly, and I have to shamefully admit that, for the first several chapters, I've done NO editing, just write and publish. BAD SARA! *hangs head in shame* I'm trying to make up for that with future parts but this story has me in its clutches and just wants to be WRITTEN. Seriously, as a writer, that is such an incredible feeling!

While this started out as a DA:I fanfic, I'm beginning to deviate so much from the original material that I'm wondering if I should take it more towards Original Fiction. I know a lot of people poo-pooh that kind of thing though, so I'd love your take.

The next chapter introduces a character I'm suuuuuuuuper excited about, although I won't say who or why. ;) Yeah, I'm totally tricksy that way (or mean, nasty, cruel, whatever), but I hope it'll be good. Stay tuned! :-D


	7. CHAPTER SIX

**CHAPTER SIX**

* * *

><p>Whatever I'd expected for the stables, the multi-story building I saw in the binoculars definitely wasn't it.<p>

"And you're certain this is the place?" Cullen asked Daniels, the NYPD cop who'd given us the location.

"That's it. Horses are on the second level, although I've no idea whether any have survived since the world went to hell."

"Looks like we've got a rift nearby too," Leliana said beside me. "I'm not seeing any of those things, but expect activity once we get close."

"So focus on closing the rift first," I mused aloud, "then see about the horses?"

"Sounds good to me. Let's move out, keep a sharp eye for any movement."

Like earlier that morning, I felt uncomfortable that somebody would follow instructions I gave. How my opinion held as much weight as people with more experience was a mystery. I kept expecting the other shoe to drop, for someone to call bullshit and take over.

I followed after Leliana, who'd taken point. Cullen was close behind me, sword in hand and a riot shield up in front of him. Earlier that morning, we'd come across a squad of NYPD officers patrolling for survivors. It hadn't taken much convincing for either party that we should combine forces, and we'd gained valuable information on the whereabouts and particulars of the stables. Lieutenant Daniels had offered to accompany us and allowed us to dip into some of the gear they'd accumulated.

We got two blocks from the stables before Leliana called a halt. Up ahead, I could make out the sounds of fighting; the shrieks of the demons, as well as men shouting and the occasional crackle of gunfire.

"Go in, but don't engage until the friendliest have recognized us as such," Cullen murmured, and Leliana nodded. I gripped my katana tightly, following closely behind.

A couple very dead demons, or just parts of them, were strewn about the street. One was hanging precariously atop a nearby streetlight, thick black goo seeping from open wounds. I kept well away from it, not wanting to find out the hard way whether it was truly dead.

When we reached the street itself where we'd heard the fighting coming from however, everyone just stopped and stared. Bodies of various demons littered the pavement, some two deep. The rift sizzled in the air, creating it's odd shapes and patterns, and occasionally spitting out the mists that summoned more creatures.

In the center of it all was a whirling dynamo, a one-man show against the threat. Demons had barely risen from the ground when the large man pounded them into the pavement with his weapon, splattering their innards all over the street.

"Damn," Cullen breathed in a low voice, while behind us Leliana gave a whistle of appreciation.

The fighter wasn't alone, although he definitely dominated the show. A handful of men were behind him, fighting against the demons the larger man hadn't dispatched yet. It seemed that, with every one he killed, another rose in its place, but he didn't seem to tire. His men, however, looked beat, and more than one had red blood stains on their clothing.

The human blood on the fighting men spurred me into action. Our way was mostly clear and, gripping my katana tight in my right hand, I move in close to the rift and raised my left hand. The now-familiar rope of green light shot out, immediately gaining the attention of everyone present. Shouts came from the other group as Leliana and the troops surrounded me, ready to engage everything that came our way.

Ahead of me, I saw the larger man take out another skinny demon with his large maul-like weapon, then hitch it over his shoulder and watch us. I was too focused on the rift to read any facial expressions, but his body language didn't seemed surprised or hostile, merely curious.

The remaining demons and a large number of carcasses began floating up toward the rift as it began to close. One body brushed my arm and I skittered sideways in revulsion. The idea of being touched by one of those things was gross to think about.

A shout came from behind as something sailed through the air beside me, then one of those large jelly-like demons landed beside me with a wet splat. He was injured but very much alive, and far too close for comfort. "Cullen," I yelled out, skittering sideways as that thing reach out for me, "I could use a little-"

I hadn't even seen the large man approach. He hefted the big weapon from his shoulder, and before I could even twitch, he brought it down on the jelly monster. Demon flesh and ichor flew in all directions, spraying everything within a ten foot radius...including myself. I froze in utter shock, staring blankly ahead where the demon had just been.

A thick trail of jelly-beast oozed from the top of my head over my temple, then dropped with a loud splat to the pavement. My skin crawled at the sound, and a thousands voices of *Eww gross nooooo* echoed through my mind in manic hysteria.

"Oops."

The deep voice beside me didn't sound contrite in the slightest. I slowly turned my head to look at the other man as, above me, the rift shattered. The crystals remaining on our side immediately congealed and dropped nearby, splatting against my boots.

"Well. That's certainly a handy trick you've got up your sleeve."

I gasped, not realizing until then I'd been holding my breath. With my inhale however, I got a huge whiff of everything that had landed on me, and I couldn't stop the screech of outrage and revulsion that ripped out of me.

"They'll have towels inside," that deep voice rumbled again, thick with amusement, as my shrieks trailed off into pained whimpers. "Might want to get that stuff off you."

I realized I still had the katana in my hand, and a burning desire for decisive revenge in my heart, right as Cullen stepped between us. "Here, use this," he said, handing me a mostly-clean shirt.

Too desperate to get that godawful stuff off me, I took it and began scrubbing my skin immediately. Beside me, the big man laughed. "Little girl doesn't like getting down and dirty with the big dogs, I see."

I shot him a dirty look, still not in the right mindset to answer coherently or without violence. He must have recognized this because his grin grew more feral, showing more white teeth. Up close, he was tall enough that I had to look up into his face. A dark hoodie covered his head and a thick, scraggly blonde beard framed the bottom of his face.

"Good fighting," Cullen said beside me, breaking the icy silence. "Your weapon of choice is, ah, very interesting however."

My case of the serious eebie-jeebies began to wane as the goo slid off me and onto the ground or the rag. The newcomer seemed pleased by Cullen's notice however and brought around his weapon for us to see. "What, this old thing? I keep it by my bed for emergencies."

I paused, staring at what he wielded. Someone had taken a large chainlink fence post, bent one end around a large stone, then reinforced it with rebar like a cage. I gawked at it, then up to the man wielding it in amazement.

He met my incredulity with a grin. "If you like this one," he all but purred, "you should see the one I keep in my pan-"

"Hey boss," a voice called out, "you gonna introduce us or keep flirting?"

One eye quirked at the intrusion as the new group who'd been standing back a ways moved forward. "Ah yes," he said, "my merry band of men."

"Speak for yourself, asshole," one woman's voice rang out from the group.

"And our own Maid Marian," he continued smoothly, amusement dancing across his eyes, "although for some reason she hates being called that."

"Up yours, dickhead."

The woman who'd been speaking stepped forward, eyed us suspiciously for a long moment, then held out her hand to me. She was almost my height, with short dark hair and a stout figure that looked more than capable of fighting. A black rifle was slung over one shoulder, and in her hand loosely at her side was a baseball bat with nails in it.

_Tough lady. _I liked her already.

"We appreciate the help getting rid of these things," Cullen said as I shook her hand. Around us the rest of the fighters who'd been in the shadows staggered out. Some were leaning heavily on the shoulders of comrades, and most looked like they could use a rest.

"I'm Krem," she said as we shook hands. "That great lout there is Bull, our club president. Ignore all the macho bullshit, and he's actually only slightly less annoying when you get to know him."

_Appropriate name._ I ignored the other man, instead studying the rest of his group. Most were wearing similar jackets and vests, the same skull image on the back with "Chargers NYC" marked in big letters around the logo. They reminded me of a biker club, although there were no motorcycles to be seen anywhere. Then again, with all things electrical out, that wasn't such a shock.

"A large group of us are holed up at the hospital," I said to Krem. "There's food and medical supplies for your wounded if you can make it there. We've cleared a path through there, should be safe enough to travel if you're careful."

"Oh, we can be careful." Krem slanted Bull a look. "Most of us."

The big man just shrugged. "I can't help it if I like making things go splat."

Krem smirked, then looked back at me. "You looking for anything in particular? We've scouted most of the area, might be able to give you intel."

"Actually, we're looking for horses. We're hoping to use them to evacuate if it comes to that."

"Then if you're here, you probably already know where they are. Be careful though, the folks guarding those beasts are really protective."

"Probably worried we'd make 'em dinner," Bull said, showing off his teeth again, and I rolled my eyes.

"Leliana, escort them to the hospital and then meet us back here," Cullen said.

"Krem, see everyone's safe," Bull said, dropping the end of his maul onto the sidewalk and resting against it. I was sure I heard the cement fracture under the blow. "I'm gonna stay and watch these loser's backs."

"Oh, lucky us," I muttered under my breath, and Krem laughed.

"I think you and I are going to get along just fine." She gave me a wink. "Remember to call him out on his bullshit and he should be good. And stay away from his hands, they get real twitchy around redheads."

Bull laughed as I stepped away quickly, shooting the other woman a mock glare. "Cockblocker."

"Only yours, babe, only yours."

* * *

><p>It turned out Daniels knew some of the men inside the stables, so we didn't have a problem getting inside. We quickly discovered however that Mags had been right: these men took their protection duty over the animals very seriously.<p>

Unfortunately, right away we had a problem.

"No. Not just no, hell no, you're not taking my horses out there."

"Captain Denet, please, we're going to need them to escape the..."

"And how will you feed them, hm? Keep them protected from those things out there? My animals are not like your tanks, commander, you can't just roll them out in the middle of a fight and expect them to take it."

I left Cullen to negotiate with Captain Dennet to look around the stables. Even though I didn't have much firsthand experience with the beasts, I'd always loved horses. The reality was perhaps a bit smellier than in my dreams, but the stables were well-ventilated and, from what I could see, the stalls kept clean.

A long dark head appeared over the door of one stall, big liquid eyes watching me. Cautiously, I approached, letting it smell my hand first before touching its nose. The skin was velvet smooth, it's exhalations warm against my palm. The horse nudged my hand, silently demanding more attention, and I was in love.

"Fantastic animals, aren't they?"

I jumped slightly at Bull's voice behind me, spooking the horse I'd been petting into retreating to the rear of its stall. Throwing the big man a glare at the intrusion, I gave a grudging nod. "I always wanted to learn how to ride as a kid."

"Looks like you may be learning now. Better late than never, right?"

He sounded almost _nice_, and I gave him a suspicious look. "How much do you know about horses?"

He snorted. "Probably more than you, and more than most of these mooks." Approaching the neighboring stall, he clucked his tongue at the brown horse inside. When the animal stuck its head out of the stall, Bull stepped in close and, after letting the animal get used to his scent, began rubbing beneath one cheek.

The horse stretched out its neck, lifting its head to give the man a better reach, and Bull grinned. It seemed the first honest expression I'd seen yet on the other man, and I cocked my head sideways, studying him. "I take it you have more experience with them?"

"A bit," he murmured, then slanted me a glance. "Not all of us were raised in the lap of luxury, Princess."

Any good feelings I might have entertained left in an instant. "Jackass," I muttered, stalking away.

His laugh followed me. "Guilty as charged."

I moved to the back corner of the stables, wanting only to get away from the irritating man. A small room off to one side, about the size of three stalls, held a variety of saddles and other equipment. Everything was perfectly polished and each piece arranged in its place. It was a bit OCD for my tastes, but it certainly made it easy to find things.

In the back corner was another stall and, curious, I slipped inside and peeked around the edge. A white horse lay against the back wall,

"Holy shit," someone behind me exclaimed, and I looked back to see Bull had followed me inside. His gaze was locked on the horse which, now that it had intruders, was quickly getting to its feet. As its head turned into the light, something glinted off its forehead, and it was my turn to stare.

"Is that..." I didn't even know how to end the sentence, the question too mind-boggling to say aloud.

"A unicorn? Well, it does have a horn growing out the middle of its head, so that would be my professional opinion."

Captain Dennet stepped into the room, flanked by Daniels. He folded his arms, glaring at Bull and me. "I'd appreciate it if you'd leave my charges alone until we figure out details."

I pointed incredulously at the stall. "But she, he," I stumbled. "That's a unicorn."

"_Her_ name is Star, and yes there's a horn growing out of her head." Dennet didn't seem thrilled with giving his history lesson. "A week ago, she was a regular bay mare, used to patrol Central Park. Then all this shit happened, she goes white overnight, and that horn starts growing from her skull."

He moved forward to the entrance, staring at the horse huddled in the back of the stall. "Since then, nobody's been able to touch her. She'll eat, but only if nobody's in the room, so we moved her back here. Had to herd her in, which was probably somewhat traumatizing. We haven't been able to contact her previous rider - I don't even know if they're still alive - but it's like overnight she took a big dislike to everyone who took care of her."

"What's going on in here?" Cullen's poked his head inside the room, taking everything in with a glance. "Why do I always seem to miss the fun?"

Beside me, I saw Star's ears twitch at Cullen's voice. She took a few cautious steps toward the stall entrance as the Commander stepped inside the room. His gaze fell on the creature in the stall, and his eyes widened. "Holy shit, is that a unicorn?"

"Oh, this is rich." Bull's voice was rich with amusement as Cullen approached the gate slowly. "Thank you Mrs. Collins and ninth grade ancient mythology."

At first, I didn't understand what he meant. Then behind me I heard Daniels snicker, quickly covered up, and realization dawned. I clapped my hand over my mouth. _Oh! Oh boy._ Probably more than the military man ever wanted anybody to know about himself.

Cullen seemed fascinated by the unicorn, which seemed equally interested in him. "Well, aren't you a beautiful thing," he murmured, reaching out his hand which the unicorn butted with its nose.

"Well I'll be damned," Captain Dennet said, lips twitching in an effort to hold back a smile, at the same time Bull laughed loudly, startling both Cullen and the unicorn.

"So, you're golden boy here is as lily white as they come." Bull laughed again. "How a man goes - what, thirty years? - without getting their pipes clean..." He shook his head in mock sympathy. "Poor man."

"Pipes..." Cullen's confusion gave way to embarrassment; color suffused his cheeks as he snatched his hand from the animal. "I, uh," he stammered, giving a small cough as he stepped away from the stall. He glanced at me

"Oh, this is too good." Bull turned to me. "Now you've _got_ to bring me along, just so I can get this poor kid laid. That, and the future laughs I'd get at his expense would be completely worth whatever you guys are in to."

"Oh, stop it," I said, elbowing the big man in the ribs. Taking pity on the Commander, I asked, "Did you come to an agreement on the horses?"

"We, ah." Cullen cleared his throat. "He's willing to works with us as long as we can guarantee the safety of his charges, human and, er..." He glanced at the unicorn, who was still watching him almost sadly. "Otherwise."

"Come on," Bull pleaded, "just one more joke and I promise I'll stop."

"No," I said bluntly.

"_Please_, I'm begging you here. It's good, you'll definitely want to hear it."

"No."

The large man snorted, then grinned. "Later then." He smirked at Cullen. "Your girlfriend won't always be here to fight your battles."

Now it was my turn to blush. "Let's get back to the hospital," I stated, ignoring both men and leaving the small room. "I want to know what if anything Solas and Cassandra have found."

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: So I hope you enjoyed Bull's introduction. LOVE LOVE LOVE his character in the games and he's really coming alive in my head as his real-world counterpart. There'll be more of him for sure, backstory and revelations - the more I write about him, the more I love him. Ah, the life of an author is freaking AWESOME!<p>

I'm also noticing that each part seems to get longer and longer. No idea what that'll mean for the future (I may be spoiling you guys by posting a chapter or two per day, don't know if I can keep up the 3k+ word days!), but hopefully I can continue writing this fast for a long while. ;)

Oh, and wow! I've received some most excellent reviews as well as questions these last couple days! You guys RAWK!

AMD: Cassandra is totally one of my favorite characters! I can very much see her in a F/F pairing too, although (thank you YouTube) I love how she's romanced in the game itself. :D

Rayezin: Omg your review was SO COOL! I love hearing when someone likes the story, makes me all the more motivated to continue! :D :D I hope you continue to enjoy, even if you don't leave me any more reviews. And, yes, Cullen is a definite favorite - he's just so darned CUTE!

PiperDreamer: I'm as excited about this story as you, and will update as quickly as my fingers lay down words! Thanks for the review!

Hessan: Thanks so much for the encouragement! You're so right, the real magic happens in revisions, and like I said before I'm just laying this story out and publishing here on as it's written. ;) If I ever do decide to try publishing it in book form and change names and the like, I'll likely be diving deep and fleshing things out more than merely removing obvious Bioware influence. It's so funny, I've had this world in my head for so long and it's like I'm finally writing the story of my heart in the guise of DA:I fanfic. Dunno what that means for the future but, man, I'm having so much fun right now I don't even care! :-D


	8. CHAPTER SEVEN

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

* * *

><p>"Six hundred million people."<p>

Cullen's murmured words were so low I almost didn't hear him. "What's that?"

"What Solas said about ten percent of the population just dying right as this all started." Cullen stared straight ahead, face expressionless. "I'm trying to get my head around that number. There's, what, about six billion people in the world? So ten percent of that is six hundred _million_ people."

"Well, ten percent means one of every ten people you know is dead." I paused as my own words hit me. My sister's face flashed through my mind, followed by my parents, and I felt my chin wobble a bit. "The...the first ten people I can name are all family."

"I'm sure they're okay," Cullen said quickly as tears pricked my eyes. "You're alive, and Solas said this was genetic, right? So there's a good chance your family made it."

"Is that how you stayed a virgin? By making all the girls cry."

I dashed at my wet eyes with the back of one hand, keeping my back to Bull. Beside me, Cullen snapped, "You need to shut the hell up over things you don't understand."

"Maybe if you weren't making them cry in the first place, I wouldn't have to butt in."

"This is an A-B conversation, so C your way out."

"Ooh, if we're gonna go all schoolyard slang, I know a bunch of comebacks. Let's start with a real goodie: I'm rubber, you're glue..."

"Excuse me," I muttered, walking swiftly away from the two men toward the front of the group. I wasn't in the mood to play mediator between two overgrown children, and moved up beside Leliana. "I'm suddenly in the mood to murder something."

"You'll get your chance soon enough."

"Before all this," I asked, curious about the other woman, "what did you do?"

"I was an intelligence officer for the US Navy."

"Navy? Isn't Cassandra's group from the Marines?"

She nodded. "The two branches often work closely together, but we weren't more than acquaintances before all this. We just happened to be in the same vicinity when everything happened."

I could still hear the bickering behind us, although not the words. I trusted that the others in our group could pry the two apart if it got too heated, so tried to put them out of my mind. "What happened the first three days after the Breach opened? I can't remember anything about them."

Leliana sighed. "Chaos. One minute I'm typing up a report on my computer, the next my computer and all the lights turn off. I thought it was a power outage until I started hearing the screaming."

I slanted a look at the fellow redhead. "You don't strike me as an office type."

She smirked, keeping her eyes on the road ahead. "I wasn't always a pencil pusher, if that's what you mean."

I waited for her to continue, but when she didn't I dropped the matter. "Did people really, just, die?"

She nodded. "I didn't see it with my own eyes, but I saw the bodies. Maybe four people in my office, more in the halls leading outside."

"I was just thinking about my family." I rubbed my arms, suddenly feeling cold. "The doctor said one in ten, and all I can wonder if which one of the ten I can think of...didn't make it."

Leliana stopped suddenly. Her closed fist came up over her head, signaling a full stop for our party. I immediately fell silent as she crept forward several steps and looked quickly around a corner before signaling me over. "You still want to kill things?"

I peeked around the corner to find two skinnies and three of the green ones hanging around at the end of the alley next to us. There was no rift here, meaning these had wandered away from their original entrance to this world, or they'd at one point been human.

Reluctantly, I shook my head. "Let's just get back to the hospital with minimal risk," I murmured, not really in the mood for more danger.

Leliana nodded. "I know a shortcut then that should be cleared out."

* * *

><p>"I know why our guns are so ineffectual against the monsters."<p>

Doctor Solas had called several of us inside a nearby break room the moment we'd arrived back in the hospital. It didn't matter that we'd been walking all day looking for supplies and fighting demons.

"Just spit it out, Doctor," Cassandra said from beside him, probably as impatient as any of us to hear the news.

"To understand bullets, You must understand how they're made. Historically, most bullets have a lead core, and are plated with non-ferrous alloys like copper or aluminum to hold their shape and resist any melting under air friction..."

"Less history and science-talk," a voice came from the door behind me, "more actual info."

Cullen and I both turned to glare at Bull's intrusion as Solas pushed his glasses up his nose. "And you are?" he asked in a frosty voice.

Bull gave him a big grin, which only made the doctor's expression icier. "Bored, so get to the good stuff will you."

Cassandra eyed the big man suspiciously. "Commander, is he with..."

I sighed loudly, interrupting anything Cullen might have said. He was glaring at the other man, and it didn't help that Bull _winked_ back at him. "Just tell him too," I said in a resigned voice, "this sounds like something everyone should know."

Solas' lips pursed at my words, but nobody else argued the point so he continued. "Your melee weapons are made of steel, or are ferrous-based. Iron, that is. I've found that the creatures have a weakness to anything iron; it eats through their flesh faster than any other metal I've found."

"So you're saying they're allergic to it?" Cassandra asked.

"In a way, yes."

I turned to Cullen. "Can we get any steel or iron ammo?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Probably not here in New York, gun laws have been fairly restrictive for years."

"And our soldiers' ammunition is all lead based," Cassandra added, slamming her fist down on the table. "Shit!"

"Yes," Solas said, "indeed. So unless you have a secret stash of iron-based weaponry, we may be..."

Behind us, Bull clucked his tongue. "And blondie over there thought me tagging along would be useless."

We all turned to look at him. "Speak up, then," Cassandra barked.

"Nah, it'd be more fun to show you." He folded his arms and leaned against the doorway, smirking down at us.

"Show us what?"

Bull's grin widened at Cullen's question, flashing even white teeth. "You'll just have to trust me, won't you?" He clapped his hands together, rubbing them gleefully. "Who's up for a little stroll?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "_How_ little?"

* * *

><p>Three hours later, I was still trudging through the streets, glaring at Bull's back. Night was rapidly falling, and surrounded by the skyscrapers and other tall buildings, the shadows were growing quick.<p>

"We could have done this in the morning, you asshole," Cullen growled.

"If you hadn't stopped to close every rift on the way, we might have made better time. We're almost there."

Bull didn't sound any happier with the situation than any of us. Frustration laced his words, and I could see he had a white-knuckle grip on the cloth-wound grip of his makeshift weapon.

"Wait, you're saying your weapon cache is in freaking _Soho_?"

Bull gave Cullen a tight smile. "Would you have believed me if I'd told you that earlier?"

From our left came an otherworldly scream, and our group huddled closer. Cullen moved to my side and leaned in close. "If we start fighting," he murmured, "just get behind me. We can't afford to lose you."

"Nah," Bull said suddenly, hefting the giant maul up onto his shoulder. "I have her back, you just take care of the dirty work."

"I have a shield, asshole."

"And I have a giant meatstick." Bull waggled his eyebrows at me. "Wow, unintentional double entendre there, yet true in both ways."

"The girl can take care of herself," I grit out, putting distance between myself and both men, as beside me Cassandra gave another groan of "_Oh good Lord._"

God, I'd been out of high school for years now, and suddenly it was like I was thrown back in with that level of immaturity.

"Up there," Bull said suddenly, pointing ahead of us. "Inside that white building ahead."

It was eery how deserted the streets were out here. I'd been in Soho a couple times before, usually just passing through or more as a tourist. Just like the other neighborhoods, it looked as though a natural disaster had come through, only this was a very _un_natural kind of calamity. I didn't see any people on the streets although cars littered the street, some with bodies still behind the wheels. I tried not to look too closely as I followed the group inside.

"Swanky place," Cullen said, his gaze suspicious on Bull.

"Drew always thought so. Said it was part of the appeal, how much he didn't fit in with his surroundings. Third floor, room 311."

I shuddered as we passed a woman's body lying on the stairs. Her face was bloated and she'd obviously been dead a while. Hugging the inner railing, I stayed well away from her and made sure to breathe through my mouth as we ascended the building.

"So tell me, Bull, what did you do for a living?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Blondie."

"Cullen," Cassandra's voice snapped, halting whatever the other man was going to say, "you can interrogate him when we get back. Shut the hell up, both of you."

Both men fell silent, and I could have kissed the hardnosed Major for accomplishing the impossible. We reached the third floor easily enough to find another body blocking the doorway. There were no obvious signs of why he died, and I wondered if he was related to the woman we'd passed two flights down. Carefully stepping over him, we followed Bull silently to one apartment door.

Bull rapped on the door three times, paused, then once again. He waited, then tried again. "Hey Drew," he called out, "it's Bull. You gonna let us in?"

There was no answer, and Bull jiggled the handle then let out a breath. "Okay, everyone step back a ways. This could get dicey."

"Dicey, how?" Cassandra stated as everyone took a few steps away from the door. The hallway was wide, with the apartments only on one side and very spaced out, but there was little to hide behind.

"A little further maybe," he said, making a shooing motion with one hand as he hefted the large maul onto one shoulder. I backed up to the stairway door as Bull muttered, "Here goes nothing."

He swung the maul in a wide arc toward the door and I heard the splintering of wood as it gave way. Silence reigned for a handful of seconds, then Bull's shoulders visibly loosened as he let out a breath. "Well, so much for that security system he alwa-"

An explosion came from inside the apartment, a giant fireball erupting through the ragged entrance. I screamed and ducked back toward the stairs as arms enveloped me, and a black SWAT shield obscured my vision of the apartment. We hit the ground heavily, narrowly missing the stairs with our head.

"You okay?" Cullen asked, lifting his shield off me.

Shaking my head, I blinked and realized I was laying atop the military commander, my hands pushing against his chest. Bright blue eyes heavy with concern stared up into my brown ones, and I realized he'd asked a question. "I, yeah, I'm fine. Everyone else?"

I sat up, straddling his belly as I looked around us. Several others including Cassandra had made their way inside the stairwell, and were moaning on the ground. I got to my feet quickly as Cullen scooted sideways to check on his men. "That bastard," he muttered under his breath.

A memory of the explosion and a fireball engulfing Bull filled my mind. Leaving the others to Cullen and Cassandra, I rushed out into the hall to see how the other man had fared.

The walls immediately surrounding the apartment were blacked, the opening now made wider with the blast. At first I couldn't see Bull until I heard a deep groan and saw something move from the far wall. Rushing forward, I stared in shock at the large man who'd somehow managed to get himself stuck inside the wall. Bull wiggled in place, blinking when he saw me. "Mind giving me a hand?"

Grabbing one of his hands, I pulled but he didn't budge. His skin was covered in black soot, the sweatshirt he'd been wearing ripped to shreds. The skin beneath was similarly dark but I didn't see any burns, which made no sense. Bracing one foot again the wall, I tightened my grip on his wrist with both hands and pulled as hard as I could.

He popped free with a groan, and I stumbled back. His hand twisted to grip both of mine, stopping my fall. He grinned down at me. "You're stronger than you look, Red."

Whatever I'd been about to say died on my lips as I looked up into his hairline. From each side of his forehead, following the upward dips of a strong widow's peak, two horns curved back over his skull. The skin at the base seemed red and irritated, as if they were an open or recent wound. I couldn't do anything except stare, slack-jawed at the sight.

One side of Bull's mouth tipped up. "What, you never seen a horny man before?"

"What the hell are those?" Cassandra demanded. Several of the men raised their guns as Cullen did the same with his sword. My eyes widened at having guns trained on me, then I was lifted upright and pulled behind Bull.

"Lower the guns now," he growled in a deep voice, any trace of humor gone.

"Let the girl go and we might."

Groaning loudly, I yanked my arm from Bull's grip and stepped out from behind him. "Is it safe to go inside?" I demanded of the large man, folding my arms and glaring up at him. I was sick of being made out to be some damsel in distress; it was humiliating.

I could tell I'd impressed the big man, but I couldn't care less at this point. "Hang on." Ignoring the guns on him, Bull pushed past me and carefully stepped over the rubble at the apartment entrance. I followed him inside, determined to prove I could take care of myself, thank-you-very-much.

"Looks clear," Bull said, but still moving cautiously into the center of the apartment.

I looked around, a bit surprised by how small it was. "I expected it to be larger," I said softly as behind us, Cullen and Cassandra stepped carefully through the rubble at the entrance.

"There are still some surprises...aw, damn."

Bull's sudden change in voice drew my attention. He was staring behind a nearby couch and, fearing what I'd see, I peeked around to see what he was staring at. I immediately wished I hadn't but it was too late to look away. "Your friend I take it?" I asked, a little breathless from the smell.

"Yeah." He squatted down beside the body, looking it over from head to foot. "Although he looked a lot different before."

I certainly hoped so. It was difficult for me to embrace what I was seeing as once-human; it looked more like a movie prop, despite the smell, and I embraced that distance. The head was oddly shaped and several sizes too big, while the body was withered away to practically skeleton. The hands however were, like the head, oversized, the palms themselves the size of dinner plates. They were purpled and gnarled, the bones beneath the thin skin seemingly broken in many places.

"Sorry Bull," I said in a low voice. Despite what the body looked like now, once it had been a friend.

"Thanks." He blew out a breath. "Drew was more than a little crazy, but he fit in with the Chargers. We were all nuts, still are I suppose."

My eyes strayed to the horns atop Bull's skull before looking away. It felt rude to stare, and as much as I wanted to ask about them now wasn't the time.

"Bull, you said there would be supplies?"

I saw Bull's lip curl at Cullen's words, and one big hand balled into a fist. When he stood up, however, that familiar smirk fell over his face. "Prepare to be amazed."

"This place doesn't seem large enough to have the supplies you were talking about," Cassandra said skeptically, eyes roaming the small studio apartment. She rifled the covers on the twin bed in one corner, lifting up the mattress before letting it fall again.

"Oh ye of little faith." Bull crossed into the kitchen, grabbing an old toaster off the counter. Upending it, he shook it out over his hand, and something small fell out. He lifted it up to show us a metal key of some kind. "Get ready to have your minds blown."

He pushed aside a filthy pan from the stove and inserted the key into the rear of the old stove. When he turned it however, there was a loud click from inside the wall itself, and the rest of us immediately stood to attention.

"Don't get your panties in a wad, this is the fun part." He stepped aside, grabbing the old stove and pulling back. With barely a whisper, the entire wall separated, swinging back like a door.

"Fun part, indeed," Cullen murmured, stepping forward as Bull pulled open the other half of the door. Gone was the kitchen, if it had ever really worked as such.

A matched flared as Cassandra lit a propane camping lantern we'd turned up in a nearby sporting goods store, and she went inside first. Things on the walls shone in the low light, glass and metal reflecting the lamp's light.

"It's way more impressive when the lights are on," Bull said, still standing near the entrance. "But if you wanted weapons, here you go."

Cassandra immediately headed over to the far wall, gaping at the variety of guns hanging there. "My God, this is an arsenal." Opening one of the cabinets, she pulled out a small box and held it close to the lamp. "These are armor-piercing bullets, steel core. This might work if we can find the right calibers."

I was drawn to a nearby display that had several levels of katanas similar to mine. Carefully opening the glass case, I pulled one out to test and immediately felt the difference. This one was stable in my hand, more balanced than the pawn shop one I'd been carrying around. It was also much more beautiful, with a deep blue grip and scabbard and a blade etched with various kanji symbols.

Cullen came up behind me with another lamp, looking over my shoulder inside the case. "These are quality weapons," he said, pulling out another katana and inspecting it. "We need to take everything we can carry with us...hello what have we here?"

He moved sideways toward the neighboring case, opening it and pulling out something very long and wrapped in cloth. I held his lantern as he unwrapped it to reveal another sword, very different from my katana but just as beautiful. "Well now," Cullen murmured, lifting it into the light, "this is a step in the right direction."

"Oh _yeah!_ Baby come to papa."

Bull's enthusiastic voice toward the back of the room was followed by the sound of breaking glass. I lifted my lamp higher, straining to see him in the darkness toward the rear. I saw movement, then Bull appeared again with something slung over his shoulder and a shit-eating grin on his face. "What do you think?" he asked, pulling it off his shoulders and holding it out in the light.

Behind me, I Cullen coughed the word "c_ompensating,_"but he wasn't looking at Bull when the horned man glared back. I just stared at the huge hammer in the big man's hands. It had to be three feet long, with a large wooden head that was flattened on two sides. "Is that for real?" I asked, unable to think how anyone could fight with something that big outside video games.

"Nah, looks like something one of them cosplayers might use, but it's solid enough." He swung it down like a pendulum, then back up. "Needs better weight distribution, maybe some reinforcing with metal plates."

"What kind of person exactly was Drew?" I asked, replacing my previous katana with the new one. "This apartment is, well, pretty epic."

Bull just shrugged. "He had rich parents that didn't seem to care what he did as long as it didn't attract headlines. I'm pretty sure he was supposed to be taking meds for something or another, but he seemed mostly fine without them. A little paranoid, maybe, but fine."

I laughed in surprise, spreading my arms wide. "Bull, this isn't what I'd call _fine_."

"Okay, so maybe he was one of the weirder ones. But he was a Charger, and a brother. It didn't matter to us."

"Are we going to head back?" Cassandra called out through the room.

"It's dark outside," Cullen replied, "do we really want to be out in that? Too ripe for an ambush."

I shrugged. "Let's crash here. Check the other apartments to see if there's extra mattresses."

In the low light, Bull's teeth glinted in the darkness. "You can share my bed anytime you want, Red."

Setting down the lamp carefully on a nearby display, I twisted around quickly and rammed my elbow into his gut. The blow jarred my shoulder but the groan from the big man was satisfying. Not bothering to reply to his statement, I stepped out of the weapons room and looked around. The sun had disappeared, although what little sky I saw was still light. "It'll be dark soon and I don't want lights to attract anything, human or otherwise. So let's find what we need from other apartments and go dark."

"Yes, ma'am," Cullen said beside me, giving me a small salute.

Damn, was I ever going to get used to people actually listening to what I said?

As the group began making preparations, I stepped outside the room and looked down the halls. All the doors were closed, and I wondered if there were any occupants still in their rooms, hiding from the blast we'd created. When a few men trickled out of the room, heading toward those doors, I called out to them, "Be careful not to hurt any others that might be hiding in the rooms."

I turned my attention to the hole Bull had created during the explosion. I couldn't understand how he was unhurt; he'd taken the full force of that blast, and had created a hole in the wall at least a foot deep. I suspected, whatever the cause may be, it was just as unknown to Bull as the rest of us.

That had to be a sucky way to live, not knowing if whatever's happening to you might change you forever, or worse yet kill you like it had Drew.

Shaking those thoughts from my mind, I followed the soldiers to see if I could find some cleaner blankets to sleep on for the night. I wanted to touch as few things inside that room as possible; something told me it would _not_ pass a black-light test.

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wow, this chapter came out to over 4k words. Maybe I should edit it down a bit lol, it's a whopper! Also, I'm not sure who I love more: Bull, or Cullen. Oh god, please don't let this story go all Team EdwardJacob on me! :-P

Zenlord22: Hah, your review was timely! I'd always meant for that revelation to come in this chapter, so hopefully it answered some of your questions. :D

Anonymous Agent: Aww, thank you! Yes, my first thought too was about what would happen if the world/magic of DA came to our world...and then suddenly I was writing! Heehee, I love it when a story develops legs of its own! :-D


	9. CHAPTER EIGHT

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

* * *

><p>We lost a scout the next morning. She'd been sent ahead along with two others to make sure our route back to the hospital was clear. The others had returned, saying they'd heard gunshots somewhere in the city, but she'd never shown back up, and we never found a body.<p>

_Private Elise Montoya._ I hadn't known her well, we'd spoken maybe once, but she'd been one of my group. I'd make myself never forget her name.

I carried four katanas in my belt, three strapped across my shoulders, and a backpack full of ammunition over those. Others carried the same if not more, strapped to their bodies as tight as possible. Cassandra had four black guns slung across her body and four pistols on her belt. She carried a huge duffle bag at least three times the capacity of my backpack on her back with little apparent effort.

We were keeping a wary eye open not just for the demons, but also for human predators. The firepower we carried was as good as gold; indeed, some of the items had already been set aside to barter for food if the need arose. The rest however we needed to defend ourselves, and would be a good prize to anyone other groups that might want to set up an ambush. We didn't breathe easy until we were inside the hospital, and even then only after everything was behind secured lock and key.

The first thing I noticed back at the hospital is how high tensions were. I couldn't understand it at first until I overheard that there had been a shooting the night before. The suspect had eluded custody, fleeing out into the city with no pursuit, a move that angered Cassandra.

"If it was a cut and dry case," she said to the officer left in charge, "you should have executed the culprit, not let him go."

"Here, now," Cullen interrupted, eyebrows falling in a hard line. "We're not going to kill anyone without a trial."

Cassandra whirled on the blond man. "So you would let a murderer leave with the knowledge of our defenses, our numbers, and our supplies? And if they take that to someone with greater numbers, bring them to our doorsteps?"

"I would have us not act like savages."

"News flash, the world has changed," she snapped, "and we'd be foolish not to change with it."

Cullen stepped in close, glaring down at the Major. "I didn't see anybody put you in charge of the ethical committee."

"Well, we need a leader," she counter, hand going to her belt, "and if nobody's going to step up…"

No one seemed inclined to end the argument, and I could see might get violent very quickly. "Stop it, both of you," I said, wedging myself between the two arguers. I noticed Cassandra had already half-pulled out her firearm, and I leveled her with a glare. "Put that away, Cassandra."

She turned her glare on me and I knew she was going to argue. I lowered my voice, meeting her eye to eye and praying I had at least a little sway with her. "Now, Major."

Her lip curled and I could practically see her trembling with rage. Then with a click, she shoved the half-drawn gun back into its holster. "Fine," she spat, "but if this all screws up it's on your heads."

I flinched, her words like a heavy weight settling on my shoulders. She pushed past me and I let her go, staring down at the ground. I hadn't realized until I bore the full brunt of her disapproval how much I respected the Major, and she did have a point.

I looked over at the officer who'd relayed news. His nametag read "Hayden" with a Captain's badge on his arm, and I cleared my throat. "What happened while we were gone?"

The Captain glanced at Cullen then after Cassandra, as if unsure how much to tell me, then sighed. "A lot of folks here are changing."

"Changing, how?" I interrupted him.

"Well, we don't rightly know." His eyes shot to Bull, his eyes widening, then quickkly back to me. "That's got some folks questioning who's on our side and, well." He scratched his neck, then jerked his chin toward a nearby set of double doors. "It's better if I show you."

Following him out the doors, we turned a few corners and found ourselves entering the cafeteria. Immediately it became clear to me that something was wrong, although at first I couldn't pinpoint it. My eyes were drawn to the right of the room, where a couple sat hunched over a table. The blonde woman had her back to the door so I couldn't see her face but her companion… I squinted, trying to make it out. He had a beard but it made up, well, his entire face?

From the right, a large man limped slowly toward the couple, carrying a tray of food. He was hunched over, shoulders rounded, ducking low to avoid hitting the ceiling. The tray looked minuscule in his giant hands, and he kept his face ducked down and hidden.

"The doctor's not sure how he's still alive," Hayden explained in a hushed voice when he saw who I was watching. "According to the man himself, he was over six feet tall but since all this happened, he's gained two feet and seems to still be growing."

"And here I thought I was special," Bull murmured behind me.

"So," I said slowly, figuring out pretty quick what was going on, "the problem is between those with deformities and those without?"

Hayden's nod confirmed my suspicions. My heart went out to the big man I saw. He certainly didn't look like someone who would have instigated the attack; the way he kept his face averted, body hunched in a way to appear normal-sized, made my heart go out to him.

"We've taken to separating them, trying to keep things from getting out of hand, but..."

Something sailed across the room, barely missing the giant man. To my horror, it splatted at the table where Elliott and Teddy, the children I'd met the day before, sat eating. They jumped, eyes wide, and anger hit me like a brick. "You have nobody in here to stop this harassment?" I hissed to Hayden.

Hayden didn't seem to like my judgment of the situation because he frowned. "Ma'am, most of our forces are making sure what's outside doesn't get in. We don't have the manpower to police all the civilians inside the hospital."

An older woman sauntered up behind the boys and, before I could understand what was happening, she pulled the beanie off of Teddy's head. His little hands immediately went to his skull, but they couldn't cover the twin growths I saw sprouting from the sides of his head. Beside me, I heard Bull whisper, "Well, I'll be damned," as the woman leaned in close and snarled, "Go sit with the other freaks."

"Oh _hell_ no," Bull growled behind me as my hand went to my sword. I wanted to slice that woman's face off, especially when Elliott, the older boy, pushed his brother behind him and glared up at the woman. But when her hand raised up as if she was going to backhand him, something inside me snapped.

"You touch him, and I'll feed your fucking corpse to those things myself!"

My bellow got her attention as the green mark on my hand roared to crackling life. Eyes going wide, she stumbled back as I advanced. "Just who the _hell_ do you think you are?" I snapped, following after her retreat.

Her eyes went to the mark on my hand. It was all I could do not to punch her in the face, and I didn't bother waiting for a reply. "What right do you have to touch these boys? What have they done to you to deserve your hatred?"

"One of those things ate my son!" The words were screamed at me, but I didn't so much as flinch. I watched her face crumple at the memory. "I couldn't do anything to save him, it... I just..."

I squashed any pity that rose in my heart. "So you take out your anger on another _child_? What do you think happened to _his_ parents, huh? What if they..."

I glanced over at Teddy and cut off what I was going to say. The boy's lip was trembling, and the way his face was pinched up I could tell he was valiantly trying not to cry. Looking back toward the entrance, I saw Bull watching me and motioned him over sharply. People on all sides practically fell out of their chairs to get away from him, and I knew we'd have to deal with that reaction soon enough. The woman before me gasped, falling onto her backside in shock and fear at his approach, but I didn't care as I stepped beside the boys' table. "Teddy," I said carefully, "I want you to meet my good friend, Bull."

Bull stopped about five feet from both boys, then squatted down until he was eye to eye with the littlest boy. Teddy's eyes were wide in shock, staring at the rams horns growing from the big man's skull. Even Elliott, who as far as I could tell wasn't physically affected like his sibling, seemed riveted by the sight but didn't move from his brother's side.

"He's going to take care of you for today," I continued in a low voice, "make sure you two are safe while we go out there to find your mom and dad."

If the former biker had any issues with his new assignment, he didn't voice them. "Nice to meet you, Teddy," he said, reaching a hand.

The smaller boy glanced at the offered hand, then back up to the big man's horns. "Can I touch them?" he whispered.

A big smile creased Bull's features. "Sure, but c'mon, let's find somewhere more fun to hang out first."

Teddy gave him a quick smile, hiding his face but taking the other man's hand. Giving the boy a wink, Bull snatched the bright beanie from the woman's grasp. "I'll take that," he said, his voice deep like a growl.

The lady squeaked and fell back into a chair, but didn't say anything more. Bull rose to his feet, lifting Teddy into his arms. The boy rested his head on the man's shoulder, and Bull gave me a look I couldn't interpret before looking down at the older brother. "Come on, Elliott," he said, "I'll need your help with info on your folks. Maybe we can find them next time we head out."

The older boy, still looking surprised at whatever had just happened, fell into step with the big man as he strode out of the cafeteria. I looked around the room, keeping my mouth shut until both boys had disappeared through the doors. "We are trying to help you, _all_ of you, and this is how you react?"

"Who are you to tell us what to do?" The woman in front of me struggled to her feet, keeping her distance from me. Fear and mistrust were etched into her red face. "You're just like them, why should we follow you?"

I lifted my left hand in front of her face, the green light arcing across my fingers and down my arm. She stumbled away and tripped, following on her backside. I stood over her and growled, "I'm the one who's going to get your sorry self out of this, although God knows I just want to throw _you_ into one of those rifts myself." I gave her a dirty look. "How you can live with yourself is your business, but I won't have you taking out your mess on those kids."

Nobody said a word, and I looked around the cafeteria, fighting for the right words. I was so angry I could spit, but I tried to get my point across. "These people are just like you, victims of everything happening. Maybe even more so, because their wounds are on the outside. We've all lost somebody, whether a son, daughter, cousin, mother. This event, whatever it is, will _not_ break us, do you understand me? We are all the same, in the same circumstances, and I will _not_ tolerate any more violence or bigotry."

I stared at the woman at my feet. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Y-yes."

I looked around the room again, and as my anger receded I felt the weight of all those gazes. Unsure what else to say, I looked down at my mark. "I'm not sure why this appeared on my hand, but I'm going to do my best to make this world right. Hopefully it can undo all the changes, but if it can't, we need to learn to work together."

Silence reigned through the cafeteria. I wasn't sure what I'd expected after my impromptu speech, but the lack of any response made me uncomfortable. Turning around, I moved back toward the exit where Captain Hayden remained, watching me like all the rest. Cassandra was behind him, watching me as well, but I couldn't tell what she was thinking. The need to get out there and fix this was a burning desire in my gut, and I marched up to her. "What else can I do?"

She gave me an assessing look, then turned to Hayden. "Members of NYPD will be trickling in over the course of the day. Have them keep the peace inside the building. Also coordinate with the Commander on fortifying our location and consolidating supplies. I want to be ready to go at a moment's notice should we need to evacuate."

"Yes, sir."

He saluted Cassandra, then to my surprise turned and did the same to me before walking away. My shock must have registered because, beside me, the Major rolled her eyes. "Better get used to it if you're going to make speeches like that."

My cheeks flamed. "I'm not used to threatening people," I muttered, looking away.

"Beginners luck then, because that was impressive."

My blush intensified under her assessment. "Has the doctor found out anything else?"

"Nothing he's willing to share just yet." Cassandra's flat tone bespoke her disapproval of that decision, but she moved on. "Resources are starting to run low as well. The hospital had food and water but now, nearly a week later without any reinforcements or contact from outside, we're running short."

I sighed. "Seems like only yesterday you could just run to the supermarket for those things."

"I sent out people to scout out areas, but I'm also trying to think long term." Cassandra's lips pinched into a thin line. "We have no idea what's happening outside of the island. Reinforcements should have arrived by this point, but with no communications and no eyes, we're flying blind."

She looked away, eyes troubled. "Despite how it seems, I'm torn between stopping the threat of the Breach, and ensuring the safety of those in my care. I'd hoped fixing one would help the other, but we're running out of time with few options at our disposal."

"Then we should focus on staying alive and healthy, and trust Doctor Solas to find an answer."

Cassandra's jaw clenched. "I do not trust the man." At my inquisitive stare, she just shook her head. "It's merely a feeling, like too much of his knowledge is convenient."

"Do we have a choice?"

We shared a look, Cassandra's eyes narrowing at my words, but finally she shook her head. "Fine. Supplies first, horses if and when we can get them safely here. Get something to eat while you can, I'll need that mark of yours when we head out again."

Swallowing, I nodded and watched her walk down the hall, then sat down in a nearby chair. My body ached, partly from sleeping on a lumpy couch overnight, mostly from doing more running and fighting than I'd ever attempted in my _life_. The katana was a hard lump against my hip, but it was familiar and made me feel safe.

Whispering from nearby reached my ears, and I looked to see two people watching me. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but the sudden need to get away, to find some solitude, nearly overwhelmed me. Pushing up out of the chair, I headed away from the main part of the hospital, hoping to find someplace quiet where I could recharge.

* * *

><p>It was strange not knowing what time of day it was. All the clocks in the hospital, even those running on batteries, had stopped at the same time, the moment the Breach had appeared. So I didn't know how long I'd slept, except when I finally awoke it was still bright outside and I felt a world better.<p>

I unlocked the door and stuck my head out, peering down the hall. There was no way to completely get away from people in the hospital building - too many people were crowded inside, with more incoming steadily - but I only saw a few souls walking nearby. Part of me wanted to shut the door again and stay locked away for a little while longer, but forced myself to trudge back toward the main area.

It took me a while to actually find Cassandra; I had to stop one soldier and ask. She was at the Emergency Room entrance, surrounded by several soldiers and wearing as black an expression as if seen on her face. When she saw me, her brows drew down even further. "Where have you been?"

"I took a nap," I said, looking around. I saw dark stains on her pants, and my breath caught. "What happened?"

"We ran into trouble, the human kind." She clenched her hands. "We're not the only ones looking for supplies, nor the only ones armed. We expected this but, dammit, I lost two men, and might lose a third."

"Let me guess." Bull's sarcastic tones carried from somewhere nearby. "Your boys rolled in expecting an easy catch, grab the supplies and go, and got blindsided by the previous owners who'd already staked a claim."

Cassandra whirled around to face Bull, anger lighting her eyes. "These were _scouts_," she hissed, who just folded his arms and stared back. "Their only job was to observe and report, not engage." She pulled herself upright, lifting her chin. "I wouldn't expect a criminal like you to understand leading men into battle."

A muscle ticked in Bull's cheek, and I saw his large hands curled into a fist. Stepping between them, I laid a hand on his thick chest. The muscles rippled beneath my palm, and I felt him trembling with what I assumed was rage. There was more of a story here, but now wasn't the time. "Stop antagonizing her," I snapped, "she just lost some of her people. Imagine if that had been Krem."

His angry gaze seared through me, hazel eyes practically glowing. Not wanting him to see my nervousness, I looked back at Cassandra, asking my same question from earlier. "What can I do to help?"

"It's too dangerous to take you out there. We need you to close the rifts, but you can be killed as easily as any other human."

"Okay then," I replied, "I'll stay here. Not a problem."

Bull cleared his throat, and I looked back to see him staring at my hand still on his chest. I'd somehow cupped one large pectoral through the thin shirt he wore, and tore my hand away as if burned. He stuck his lower lip out in mock sadness. "Aw, you can touch me all you want, Red."

Heat bloomed on my cheeks, more so when he winked at me. Flustered, I looked back at Cassandra and saw her watching the door, a troubled look in her eyes. Suspicion cut through me when the silence dragged on. "There's more, isn't there?"

"The scout who return alive," she said after another moment's pause. "He had a message from the ones that did this to them. They want to meet you."

Shock rocked through my body. "Me?" I exclaimed. "How do they even know about...?"

"I don't know, but they said they'd give us what we needed if they saw your mark."

I looked down at my hand, at the thin green line glowing in the low light. _Me? Why me, for _all_ of this!_

"'What we needed'?" Bull repeated the phrase, his voice a low rumble. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Neither do I but, from what little we can tell, this group is sitting atop enough supplies to last us another couple weeks, potentially more. They've reportedly consolidated everything in the area and, unless we want to go picking through apartments or find another cache, we need their cooperation."

"You can't keep her safe," Bull interjected, earning another glare from Cassandra. "Let me and my men take her in. Seeing your uniforms probably made them shoot automatically anyway, if they're the sort I'm used to dealing with."

"I will not risk the lives of _anyone_ to your-"

"Do you know this area? The people who live here?" Bull shouldered his way past me to stand toe to toe with the Major. "This is my _home_, and I know my turf better than any of your men."

"Did they say what they wanted?" I needed to know more before I went out there. My eyes travelled to the dark stains on Cassandra's pants. "Do we know anything about them?"

"Just that they're heavily fortified, willing to kill, and want you before they'll make any concessions." She sighed and looked at me. "It's your call."

_Why did I get up? Can't I just go back to that little room and pretend I'm nobody again for a little while?_ I looked between the Major and Bull, then at the people milling in the background. Ice closed around my heart like a vise, but I gave a jerky nod. "I'll do it."

_Please don't let it be the last thing I ever do._

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE:<strong> So the last two days were super hectic (wedding prep, helping friends, entertaining guests, UGH!), and I'm sorry for the delay in getting this next part done. Got some amazeballs reviews over the last few days and want to give a shout out to you _incredible_ folks!

Freckled Mess: WOW, loved your reviews! You raised a lot of interesting points and I can't talk about all of them (partly for spoilers, partly because I'm a pantser in terms of plotting/pacing and am still open to where the story takes me), but thank you _so_ much for giving me your thoughts and I'm very glad you're enjoying the story so far! And yes, Bioware created an incredible game with so many nuances, it'll be tough to get them all here, but I will try my best!

IllicitTangent: I love that you really like the story! Yup, this'll definitely be a romance, and while I'm laying the seeds there's so much _story_ to get through I feel as though it's being put on the backburner...AND ROMANCE IS WHAT I LOVE MOST! ;_; So I'll try and ramp it up a bit soon, I have thoughts on where I want to go but I'm already, what, 25k words in and have barely gotten through the Prologue of the game! Lol, it's like I'm stuck in The Hinterlands...again! :P

Quirky21: Yay, I'm glad you like it! And yes, I'm super enthused by this story, more so than I've been in a long time for ANY project. I'm just hoping that pace will continue and everything gets wrapped up in a pretty ribbon! (Or not, lol, I tend to make my characters work HARD for any potential happy endings). ;)


	10. CHAPTER NINE

**CHAPTER NINE**

* * *

><p>"She's <em>not<em> going out there alone with you."

"And you are not coming with us, Blondie."

Beside the two men, Cassandra shook her head. "Why don't you just whip them out and get it done with?" she muttered.

I rolled my eyes and stared up at the ceiling as Cullen stepped in close to the other man. Bull was a couple inches taller, and he used that extra height to stare down at Cullen, but the other man wasn't backing down. "She's the only weapon we have against this threat, whatever it is, and I'm not letting her go out there without backup."

Bull snorted and looked over at me. "No pressure, right?"

_Oh yeah, joy._ I sighed and laid a hand on Cullen's arm. "This is my choice. I'm a big girl, I swear."

"I don't trust him." Cullen tore his gaze from Bull's and frowned at me. "You've known him for what, a day?"

"I haven't known you for much longer," I pointed out. "And let's be fair, it was a really eventful day."

"Admit it, Blondie," Bull said, cracking his knuckles and giving the Commander a toothy grin. "You're just sore that she's picking the better man."

Muscles tightened beneath my hand and I thought for sure he was going to take a swing at the other man. Thankfully, Cassandra chose that moment to step between the two. "Stop acting like children," she snapped, glaring at Cullen. "You're a leader, act like one." Twisting her head to look at Bull, she gave him a dirty look. "You're certain you will keep her safe?"

"I know the stakes." For once, he looked serious as he said the words. "She'll get out alive, one way or another. You have my word."

Indecision warred on the Major's face, then she huffed. "Alright. One of my people will accompany you, to be my eyes and ears."

"That wasn't part of our deal."

"Doesn't matter. She's either part of your party, or she'll track you down anyway." Cassandra motioned to the group nearby, and Leliana, the redhead from earlier, stepped forward. "She can hold her own, and doesn't _look_ like the rest of us."

I winced slightly. The Major was echoing Bull's assessment of both her and Cullen from earlier. He'd refused to let them accompany them because, in his words, they "looked too military" no matter what they did. Cassandra had conceded the point long before Cullen, but from her tone it was obvious the words had cut deeper than she'd liked.

Bull eyed the other woman, taking her measure. I noticed that, aside from a sidearm at her hip, Leliana also carried a bow across her back along with a quiver of arrows. Both had been taken from the stash Bull had shown us, and I wondered how much practice she had with the new weapon.

After a moment, Bull nodded. "She'll do. Chargers, let's head out."

I shared a quick look with Cassandra, then over to Cullen. His brows were drawn down in a glower, but I could read the concern in them. He took a step toward our retreating party, then stopped. "Be careful," he said, then walked away.

"Arrogant, condescending, self-righteous bastard," Bull growled as we left the building. "Military and their damned officers."

"Funny," Krem said from beside me, "sound like anyone else we know?"

Bull shot the woman a glare. Krem just smirked. "Contrary to popular opinion, you don't have the market cornered on pigheaded fools, though you do try your best."

To my surprise, Bull just laughed. "Guess I'll have to work harder then."

"Oh, hooray for us."

"Just give me the damned map, bitch."

My eyebrows rose to my hairline at his words. Krem just snorted and handed him the paper. "Fuckstick."

"Assmonkey."

"Cocksucker."

Bull's grin widened. "Guilty as charged."

Krem rolled her eyes. "You'll fuck anything with a hole."

"You should try the real thing sometime. Real thing's better than those lesbo dildo's of yours anyway."

"Ew." The shorter woman's face scrunched up in distaste. "In your dreams, you big ape."

"Aww, you know you like me."

"Fucking bastard," she muttered, but I saw the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

I cleared my throat. _Interesting friendship._ "You've, uh, known each other a while, I guess?" _  
><em>

"Who, Krem?" Bull lifted a thick shoulder. "She's earned the right to put me in my place. Not many other women I'd let become full-patch members of the club."

"So you're really a biker gang?" I asked, looking around. A couple of those around me fit the image in my mind, but others not so much.

"Motorcycle club," Bull corrected, "and yes. I trust every one of these idiots with my life, trained most of them myself. My own little pack of misfits." Bull moved to a nearby wall and spread the map out over the flat surface. I peeked around him and saw someone had circled a location to the north of us. The big man's lips thinned, the last amusement leaving his eyes. "Damn," he muttered, "has to be the heart of Harlem. It always comes back to her doesn't it?"

"_Her_, who?" I asked.

"Meh, don't worry. Viv and I go way back. This'll be like a chat between old friends."

Beside me, Krem mumbled something under her breath. I looked over at her. "Is it safe to go?" I asked her, fairly certain I wouldn't get the whole truth from Bull.

The woman glared at Bull, then shrugged. "They've known each other even longer than I've been around."

From what little I knew of Bull, that news didn't make me feel any better.

* * *

><p>Compared to the hike of the previous day, this one was fairly close to our hospital headquarters. We kept quiet, our small group sticking together. I saw few people, mostly in the shadows or darting from one hiding spot to the next. I kept a good grip on the katana, not liking how exposed we were. The mark on my hand seemed to respond to my nervousness, green electrical flames dancing by my side. Trying to hide it inside a pocket didn't help since the lights danced up my arm, circling outside my clothing.<p>

Incognito, we most definitely were not.

"Is it wise to be this visible?" Leliana asked, the first I'd heard her speak since we left.

"Hiding'll get you killed around here," Bull murmured. His eyes were searching the buildings around us, as if looking for something or someone. "Best to face it straight on."

"Face what head on though?" I asked, not liking this one bit. The sense of being watched was heavy, like breath on the back of my neck.

From nearby, someone sniggered. "You guys looked like idiots all huddled up like that."

Everyone turned to see a girl with short blonde hair atop a nearby overturned car. She was sitting on a large wheel, her skinny legs dangling in the air. Her lip was lifted in a sneer as she surveyed us. "I should really just kill you for being so stupid."

"We need to see Vivienne," Bull said, keeping his features carefully neutral. "Let her know we got her message and brought who she asked."

The girl's eyes widened as they noticed my hand. "Oooh," she said, hopping down and striding toward me. I tensed, barely stopping myself from moving away as the girl stepped in close and grabbed my left hand. "That is _so_ cool," she exclaimed, wonder on her face.

"Sera," Bull growled beside me as I snatched my hand away from her grip. "We're here for a reason, not your own enjoyment."

Distracted, the girl's gaze immediately went to Bull's horns. "Well hell," she said, giggling, "now you really _are_ a horn dog." When she reached up to touch them however, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

"Take us to see Viv, or go back to your little rabbit hole."

Something manic flashed in the girl's eyes, and for a second it looked like she was going to attack Bull. It wasn't anything she said or did, but I saw the crazy desire in her face for a fight. Then, like a candle, the impression was snuffed out and she was just a petulant child again. "You're never any fun," she pouted, sticking her tongue out a the big man.

I'd never seen Bull impatient with someone else. It should have been funnier but I could tell he was being really careful with her, and that made me nervous. Bull let her go and, sniffing angrily, Sera flounced away toward a nearby building. I reluctantly moved after him when he followed. "Who is she?" I asked Krem softly.

"Crazy."

Well, that much was obvious. I shut up with the questions as we entered the building. People were crammed inside, clustered around the stairs as we descended them. Nobody said a word, and the silence was almost as unnerving as all the eyes on us.

Or, rather, on _me._ In the dim light of the staircase, the green light of my mark flared brightly. There were a few gasps as people shrank away, giving me space. I kept my head down, trying unsuccessfully to hide the mark in my pocket. We got to the bottom of the stairs and the crowds thinned somewhat. This corridor was long, lines of pipes acting like map lines above us. Propane lamps hung from above every ten or fifteen feet, providing just enough light to navigate. People lined this area too, and I wondered how many people were jammed inside the building.

There was shuffling behind me and I paid it no heed, until Bull grabbed my arm and yanked me sideways. Giving a surprised yelp, I crashed into a nearby cinderblock wall as the sounds of a scuffle came from behind me. There was a loud crack and someone cried out, and I turned in time to see a man in Leliana's grasp drop something to the ground. It clattered, a metallic sound against the concrete, and I saw it was a knife.

Bull's hand still had me pushed against the wall for which I was grateful as my legs turned to jelly. Leliana held who I could only assume was my assailant, a knife at his throat, but I couldn't take my eyes off the blade on the ground.

People gathered around us, voices murmuring incoherently. Somebody touched my arm and I flinched, then another hand grabbed my shirt. I shied away, bumping into Bull as the mark again flared into life. Fingers appeared in the darkness, caressing my cheek, and I gave a small cry as Bull smacked the hand away. Another one took its place almost immediately, and I shrank into the large man. Behind me, I heard Sera shout angrily, "Ya fuckers stop this now or I'll set you on fire, swears I will!"

Bull growled, an honest-to-God _growl_, and reached over his shoulder. The giant hammer we'd found in his friend's house appeared in the low light, and with one hand he held it out in front of him, as if daring anyone to approach. Behind me, I heard several guns cocking, and that more than anything seemed to finally drive the people away. I heaved a sob, trembling beside Bull in the dark, and felt his arm tighten around my shoulders.

Ahead of me, Sera was cursing up a storm, shoving her way through the mass of people standing in our way. Bull followed her, leading with his hammer, and I could feel the shudders from his body when his weapon collided with people. I moved my legs, for what little good it did me, but Bull managed to get us both past the crowd.

At the end of the long hall was another set of stairs leading up. Light streamed down as somebody opened a door above us and I scrambled up the stairs, wanting only to get out of that hellhole we'd been led through. I passed up Krem, holding a small machine gun at the ready in one hand, and didn't stop until I'd reached the top.

The building we ended up inside was markedly different than the old run-down structure we'd entered. Once upon a time, probably only a week prior, it had been nice, but the Breach and ensuing chaos had made its mark. The skylights above had been smashed, glass shards strewn about the floors. Some of the brick walls were blackened, scorched by who knew what, but for the most part the walls were all still up. There were much few people in this area, and those I saw were all business. They ignored Sera, who was still raving ever more inventive curses, and escorted us to a set of double doors.

"This is a whole new look for you, Viv," Bull remarked before we'd barely stepped inside. "What, no castles for you to take over?"

A black woman sat behind a large desk on a raised dais. She was beautiful, with close shorn hair and bangles at her wrists that twinkled in the low light. As we entered, she stood fluidly to her feet. "Beggars can't always be choosers, my dear." She circled the desk then leaned one hip against the large table, indicating her surroundings with one airy wave. "Also, it feels nice to get back to my roots."

Her gaze switched over to me still tucked up under Bull's arm, and her eyes narrowed. "What happened?" she demanded to Sera.

"We had some trouble down below," the blonde girl replied hastily. "We got through it, we're here now. It's all good."

Leliana appeared on my right as Sera spoke, the man who'd attacked me still in her grasp. The redhead's face was blank, while the man in her arms moaned. Ahead of us, one perfectly lined eyebrow arched, and Vivienne tilted her head to look at Sera. "You brought them here through the tunnels," she asked, her words clipped.

Sera fidgeted. "The idiots showed up on the wrong side of the building," the girl protested, looking nervous. "I just wanted them here quicker, I swear I didn't know there would be a problem."

"I see." It was amazing how much icy disapproval the woman could convey with the two words. She stepped down off the dais, moving toward Leliana and her prisoner. Sticking one long-nailed finger under the man's chin, she raised his head until his eyes met hers. "Now, why would you try and murder a guest?"

"Please, Lady," the man murmured, struggling in vain against both Leliana and Vivienne's grip, "we cannot allow the, the sin..."

"Sin." Vivienne's voice cracked like a whip, and she gripped his jaw tight with her narrow fingers, nails digging into his cheeks. "You attack a _guest_, in my _house_, and speak to me of sin?"

The man whimpered. "Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee..."

With a sound of disgust and a flick of the wrist, Vivienne let him go and the man sagged in Leliana's arms. The black woman lifted her chin, smoothed down the dress she wore, then looked at me. "You were attacked, my dear," she said smoothly, "so, as my guest, you may decide the punishment. Death, or banishment."

"Death," Bull stated before I could even begin to comprehend the question.

Vivienne shook a finger at the large man. "This choice isn't yours."

Annoyance flared inside me, and I pushed away from Bull. "Why would he attack me?" I demanded, not ready to make any decisions I'd likely regret later.

"You're an unknown, my dear, and at this moment unknowns are scary things. It's much easier to attack the normal-looking fear than the monsters outside these doors." She examined her nails. "And I may have allow certain, hm, rumors to spread about you and your abilities."

"Ah," Bull muttered, "so this _was_ your fault."

Vivienne silenced him with a look. "Careful Jason. I hold the power here, not you."

_Jason?_ I looked between the two, questions swirling around in my mind as Vivienne turned her attention back to me. "Come, my dear, you must choose."

I looked back at the man in Leliana's arms. He was a pitiful wreck, tears streaming down the lines of his face. His words silently continued the prayer I'd heard part of earlier, and I couldn't do it. "Let him go," I whispered to Leliana, who after a quick look at Bull did as I said.

The man stumbled away, tripping over his own feet, then ran back the way we'd come. Bull and the others watched him, making sure he was no danger to me, but I stared back at Vivienne. The woman was watching me, eyes narrowed, as if judging all my actions. I cleared my throat. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," she said, not breaking our gaze, then beckoned us with one finger. "There's something I'd like to show you."

* * *

><p>The room stank of urine and other fouler body odors. I would have held my breath, if it could have made any difference.<p>

"This is Antony, one of my Lieutenants. Tell me, what do you see when you look at him?"

A man sat bowed in the center of the room, dark hair fallen down across his face. Chains, the real kind with one-inch links, wrapped around his arms and forced them back behind the chair, where they were secured with two padlocks. His legs were similarly tied together, again linked back behind the chair and padlocked.

"What did he do?" I asked as Vivienne circled around behind him slowly, keeping a careful distance that spoke volumes.

She indicated the man with a tilt of the head. "Why don't you ask him."

I eyed him suspiciously. His face was shadowed, but he seemed normal in most respects as far as I could tell: no horns, average size and height. His clothes were tattered and I could see scratches all over his torso, like nail markings.

"Self-inflicted," Vivienne said before I could ask. "But look further under the surface and tell me what you see."

"How?"

Her look was droll. "Why, with your mark my dear."

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know so much about me?"

"My life is about the pursuit of knowledge. It's what has sustained me, kept me alive. I know all about you, Evelyn Trevelyan, Eve to your friends." She pointed to my hand. "What I don't know, however, is what all that mark can do. So, a test if you will."

The man before me stirred, and I felt the mark flicker to life. It was like a small electrical hum inside my palm, a faint pull that I usually only felt around the rift themselves. Chains rustled, then high-pitched cackling filled the room. Everyone fell back a step, even Vivienne, as the prisoner looked up at me. The red-rimmed, bloodshot eyes looked almost as if they glowed, and I froze at the wide smile on his face. The man stretched his neck, never taking his eyes off me.

"So. You are the girl who would undo it all."

The voice was high, a falsetto that I couldn't believe was his natural voice. Goosebumps broke out over my skin as he looked at the mark on my hand and, impossibly, his smile widened. "Yes," he squeaked, voice rising higher than his vocal chords would allow, "my Master will be very pleased with your _death._"

The last word was a hiss, spittle flying from his lips, and I fought my urge to recoil. He looked rabid, insane, his skin pale against the dark hair stuck to his damp face. Beside me, Bull lifted his hammer as I looked over at Vivienne, still standing behind the man. "What happened to him?"

She lifted one shoulder. "He complained of voices when your Breach appeared. Then one day I find him inside this room, surrounded by the bodies of my men, sitting in the chair. He allowed us to chain him, all the while talking about what he'd do to us once he was free." She gave him an icy look. "It was quite...vivid. Marcus here is not known for his imagination, so I believe someone or some_thing_ else is speaking through him."

"But what though?" Leliana demanded, even as I asked, "So he's possessed?"

Vivienne just lifted her shoulder again in a negligent shrug. "That's why I brought you here."

The man's eager stare made my skin prickle. I looked down at the mark, still alive and humming on my palm, then up at the black woman. "I don't know what this'll do."

"Well of course, dear, you won't know until you try something."

Her repeated condescending use of the term _dear_ had me grinding my teeth, but I knew she had a point. Shuffling in place for a moment, I held my left hand out toward him, willing the mark to do...something.

Nothing happened. I frowned, disappointed, then loud hyena-like giggling filled the room. Marcus leaned forward in his bonds, the wood legs of his chair straining audibly, and I dropped my hand. "You are useless," he said in that high falsetto, still cackling as if my failure was the funniest thing in the universe.

"And I thought he was an asshole _before_ he went all crazy-like," Sera muttered beside me, moving backward from the crazy, potentially-possessed man as he seemed to _grow_ in the chair. The chains that had already been tight dug further into the flesh of his arms, but if he felt any pain it didn't diminish the macabre expression his face.

"Your bodies are soft," he said, the glee on his face intensifying as he continued to rise. Dark hair fluttered about him as his skull expanded, then to my horror I saw one of his chained arms shatter within his bonds. The appendage flopped uselessly for a moment; the chains, no longer having anything to hold, slithered to the floor. My hand flew to my mouth in shock as it rippled, elongating, _changing_, then in the blink of an eye it reached for me.

I cried out and fell backwards, but not quickly enough. Fingers that were bruised purple already by whatever was happening beneath the skin managed to snag several strands of hair from my head, ripping them from my scalp. It was impossible that he could have reached that far, and around me guns were raised.

"_Yessssss_," he hissed, still giggling, still growing, "your death will be so easy; so soft and squishy, bloodbags..."

Ahead of me there was the _snikt_ of a sword, and Vivienne rose up behind the creature. Without a word, she sliced sideways with one arm, the cold steel of a sword I hadn't seen before cutting through Marcus' neck, and the crazy giggling ceased. The head of the creature formerly known as Marcus sailed through the air, landing with a loud splat to my right. I skidded sideways, bumping into Bull, who looked ready to squash the offending body part with his hammer.

The _thing_ still in the chair writhed, chains rattling and straining against the doughy flesh. Vivienne circled the body, giving it wide berth, then looked at Sera. "Burn it," she said, nudging the severed head toward the rest of the body with her sword. "All of it."

Two men circled around me, carrying red cans. Already twitchy, I squeezed up closer to Bull, feeling better beside him than alone. Gasoline was dumped over the creature, including the grotesque head still on the ground, then Sera stepped forward with a metal lighter. "Always hated the bastard," she muttered, barely audible over the commotion, then flicked her thumb. A small burst from the lighter, and she tossed it into the writhing creature's lap.

Flames erupted and, impossibly, screaming rose shrilly from the burning corpse as it began flailing harder. "Everyone, out," Vivienne ordered, and people tripped over themselves doing just that. Bull kept his arm around me, Krem on my other side as we left the room. The horrible shrieks continued behind me, even when the door was shut. Nearby, I heard the sound of someone heaving their guts out, and it made my own stomach rebel.

"I think I'm going to be sick," I murmured to nobody in particular.

"You and me both," Bull replied just as softly, but his grip never lessened as he helped me away from that room. Somehow, knowing the big man was affected too helped me keep from hurling, but it was in the back of my throat waiting.

"Girl. Walk with me."

Vivienne crooked a finger at me, nodding her head down a corridor. Bull's hold on me tightened but, swallowing hard, I pushed away from him and headed toward her. When Bull went to follow, I held out my hand. "I'll be fine."

The big man's eyes narrowed, and he looked hard at Vivienne, who ignored him and moved down the hallway. "She can be dangerous," he said, the words an obvious warning.

I gave a tired laugh. "What these days isn't?"

Vivienne hadn't walked far when I caught up with her, but there were no guards or other around us. Our corridor overlooked a garden in the center of the building, the glass windows here still intact. I saw it had begun to rain outside already, fall coming to the city. The plants out there looked well-nurtured, and I wondered whose garden this had been before everything had happened.

"You're going to need my help with this." She didn't look at me as she said it, just stared out over the garden. "While your people dug in at that hospital, waiting for reinforcements, mine were busy gathering supplies and setting up lines of communication."

"Communication?" I blew out a breath, coming to stand beside her. "What kind, exactly?"

"It's amazing what you can do with telescopes and Morse code. Every day we spread out wider; I have eyes and ears out as far as Staten Island and Brooklyn, as far inland as Jersey City." She tilted her head to look at me. "My power comes from information; there's a whole world out there, child, and we don't know what's happened to it."

"Why are you talking to me about this?" I asked, confused. "Why not to Cassandra or Cullen, or to any of the other military?"

Her smiling turned pitying. "You really don't know, do you?"

Frustration blossomed, and I made an irritated noise. "Stop playing coy and just tell me what you see. Why me, why am _I_ here?"

Vivienne didn't answer for a moment, staring out into the rainy garden. "I've made collecting power my life," she said after a long moment. "I understand the politics, the whys and hows that make it work." She pointed to my hand with one finger. "Whether you want it or not, that mark on your hand gives you authority. How you use it can make or break everything."

"I don't even remember how I got it," I muttered, glaring at the green mark. Away from the creature, it had settled down, a vivid green line on my hand.

"That will come in time. For now, it doesn't matter: it's yours, as is the authority it confers." The black woman pushed off the window sill and turned to face me. "I will be your guide, helping you navigate the roads ahead." She peered at her nails. "Lord knows you're going to need all the help you can get."

I could hear the not-so-subtle dig in her voice, and my lips compressed into a firm line. Still, she had a point, and somehow I got the feeling that if I left, I'd be throwing away a valuable resource. "Fine, we'll work with you."

"Good. Leave the redheaded scout behind as your liaison, she looks capable enough."

_Leliana_. I grit my teeth, but nodded again. "Anything else, your worship?"

She quirked a thin eyebrow at me. "You are far too transparent, my dear," she admonished, looking at me down her nose. "You must learn some tact, if you ever plan to negotiate properly."

I blew out a breath and looked away. "Thank you," I said grudgingly, hating that her words rang with truth. "We appreciate all the support you could give us."

"Oh, child." She clucked her tongue, fingers caressing my jaw almost intimately. "You must learn to lie better than that. Fortunately, you will have an excellent teacher. Now run along, before Jason makes me do something we will both regret."

"You mean Bull," I said, just clarifying we were talking about the same person.

"Do be careful with him." She pulled a thin tin from inside her coat pocket, picking out an equally thin cigarette. "He's loyal to a fault, except when it comes to the heart."

I didn't know what to say to that, so just nodded to her and walked away, the scent of tobacco following me down the hall.

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTES: <strong>Holy crap, this is the chapter that wouldn't freaking end! Five THOUSAND words, by far the largest so far. Took me two days to write it, so there goes my hope of continuing to do a chapter a day. At this rate, each chapter will be 20k words by the end of this story...

I'm one of those weirdos who actually really likes Vivienne's character in the game. Sure, she's condescending and proud (I've heard the word "bitch" bandied about), but she's also smart, powerful, and just an awesome female character. Boiware has really outdone themselves with the variety and depth of characters this game, and they're a joy to work with, even in AU.

SylverStar-189: Glad you're enjoying the story!

Shakespeare Diva: You know who I picture Bull being in this story? Travis Fimmel, the lead from the TV series "Vikings", although Jax/Charlie Hunnam from SOA certainly fits the bill. It's tough to bring a Qunari into the real world so, in my head, I've changed things a wee bit. :P

tattoodaffodil: Yay I'm glad you're enjoying it! Yes, Cullen and Bull are two of my absolute favorites for completely different reasons, but I love them both so hardcore! :D Can't wait to see where the story takes them (I have ideas most definitely but, since I tend to "pants" my stories, we'll see).

IllicitTangent: You know, I love Eve, mainly because even though she's a badass, she's obviously way out of her league and unsure how to move forward. And, yes, Bull. Oh, Bull. 3 I never actually romanced him in the game, but I LOVE how his storyline and character progresses. Making that come alive in our world...yeah. It makes me pretty happy writing it.

Freckled Mess: LOL I remember how one of your first reviews mentioned that I did shorter chapters. Well, that's certainly changing as the story goes on! :P I really am glad you're still liking my little interpretation of things, it's fun to think of how it all might work in our world. Hard part will be including everyone from the game believably without making it all so cluttered. There are SO many companions in DA:I, and while that's awesome it's also kind of overwhelming from a storytelling perspective. ;)


	11. CHAPTER TEN (part 1)

**CHAPTER TEN**

**(part 1)**

* * *

><p>"Do it again."<p>

Gritting my teeth, I did another volley of hits on the heavy punching bag Cullen was holding. I'd only been doing this exercise for maybe five minutes, but I could feel my strength waning. "My arms are going to fall off."

"Again."

Just lifting my arms was painful. I leveled a glare at Cullen. "You know I totally hate you right now."

He just gave me a big grin. "I will take your hatred, and turn it into fighting ability. Again."

The small exercise gloves I wore kept my knuckles from feeling much, but the muscles beneath my shoulder blades burned. I'd slowed down considerably since we'd started, but I forced myself to keep punching. "You said we'd be learning about swords."

"Yes well, that was before I knew you were a weakling."

I shot him a glare. "Don't you have new recruits to abuse?"

"Already done for the morning, now it's your turn."

My body was a mass of pain, sore muscles all over my body screaming with every movement. At first I'd been interested in getting some training, recognizing that I needed help with fighting. I'd never had to learn, and acknowledged much of my first few days is been flailing around with my little sword.

Now, however, all I wanted to do was to curl into a painful ball and cry.

The gym was a block from the hospital, but we'd gained entrance from an employee who wanted to help. The hospital was overflowing; two nearby hotels had been commandeered for refugees seeking shelter, leaving the main building once again for only medical services. Our numbers had grown exponentially as word got out of a safe haven, and with them a need for better organization.

I managed two more volleys, then dropped my arms limply to my sides. "I need a break," I murmured, walking over to a nearby wall and sliding down onto my backside and laying my forehead on my knees. My shoulders and burned, and I was a sweaty mess.

At least this place had no mirrors. I knew what I looked like when I worked out. It wasn't a pretty picture.

Something tapped me on the shoulder, and I looked up to see Cullen holding a water bottle out to me. "I miss cold drinks the most," he said, his voice apologetic as I twisted off the cap.

"Yeah, you and the rest of the world." I took a long drink then sat in silence for a long moment. "What do you think it's like off the island?"

"No idea." The blond man's eyebrows drew down. "To be honest, a week later now, I thought we'd have more of a military presence in the city."

"At least the emergency services have stepped up," I murmured, taking another drink. "I feel better with both the FDNY and NYPD around."

Cullen nodded, a deep line of worry forming between his brow. "They may have set up the hospital here as an Incident Command Center, but there's a lot of people still unaccounted for."

"Yeah." I looked down at my shoes, fiddling with the laces. "I wish there was more we could do."

"You do more than enough. If we get rid of all the rifts we can find, others on the streets will be safer."

"Until the renegade human element rises," I added glumly, then sighed. "I never knew there were so many guns in New York."

Cullen's lips pressed into a tight line. "Vivienne's put a hold to most of that nonsense." He sounded impressed despite himself. "It helps to have the self-proclaimed queen of the underworld working with us behind the scenes. Having the NYPD more organized has helped too."

I slanted him a glance. "You're really worried the military hasn't shown up?"

He looked troubled. "I worry about what's happening off-island, outside Vivienne's eyes and ears. We have no idea how big this is, or what the outside response..." He trailed off, catching my eye, then shook his head. "But that's a worry for another day. Here now, back on your feet."

Groaning, I took another long swig before capping the bottle and slowly rising to my feet. Muscles screamed, all the more for having a rest. I felt like a mass of bruises, but there was no quarter from Cullen. "You're trying to kill me, right?" I muttered, trudging over to the large punching bag he held. The two punches I gave it burned.

"Again."

* * *

><p>"<em>We should teach you how to use that thing<em>," I muttered in the cafeteria line, mimicking Cullen and our conversation three days ago. "_You'll feel so much better with a little bit of training._"

"What's that, hon?"

I looked up at the lady behind the counter, who was watching me with some concern. She was new; I didn't recognize her but, then, we'd gotten a lot of new faces in the last couple days. I shook my head. "Nothing, just complaining."

The older woman's lips twisted into a grimace. "Join the club. This is better than where I was the last few days though. Guess there's someone here who can get rid of those green things and monsters, wouldn't have made it here without her."

I stared at her for a long moment but saw no recognition in the other woman's eyes. I could have kissed her; it felt wonderful to _not_ be recognized. The mark was quiet today, hidden away beneath the exercise gloves. That was why I'd yet to take them off; it was nice going incognito for a bit.

"Yeah," I said after a long pause, unsure what else to say. "Thanks, see you around."

The cafeteria had morphed from when I'd seen it last. The vending machines had long been depleted, the first thing raided after the Breach had appeared. Somehow, they'd rigged the gas stoves to work so we had at least one hot meal a day, although portions were very carefully rationed out. Still, it was better than subsisting on soda and Skittles.

Tray in hand, I scanned the cafeteria for any familiar faces. I saw Bull first, sitting at a table nearby with little Elliott and little Teddy. I paused only for a second before heading that direction myself. "You have room for one more?"

Elliott's eyes grew big and his eyes immediately went to my gloved hand as Bull scooted his chair sideways. "Yoga pants for the win," he said, waggling his eyebrows and giving me a big thumbs up.

I stuck my tongue out at him and sat down. The sandwich and fruit cup was meager, but food was food and I wasn't about to complain. "Cullen is helping me train," I explained, not sure why I felt the need to justify my dress code. "Says I need to learn how to use a sword right if I'm going to carry one."

"Hah, that sly dog. I'll bet Blondie took off his shirt." Bull's smirk grew. "Maybe he's smarting from that unicorn outing him and trying to find a way to fix it."

Cue the eyeroll. "_Or_, maybe he's a gentleman trying to make sure I stay alive. And his shirt stayed on, if you need to know."

"More's the pity about the shirt, but it's only a matter of time. And there is no such thing as a gentleman; the concept is a myth."

"What's he trying to fix?" a small voice asked beside Bull.

I stopped mid-chew, face flaming with embarrassment for being called out by a child, but the other man just ruffled Teddy's hair. "Don't mind us, its just boring adult stuff."

"You're talking about sex, aren't you?"

The look on the man's face at the little boy's innocent question made it hard not to laugh. Beside us, I saw Krem's shoulders shaking from mirth although no sound escaped, and knew this would come up at some point as ribbing from the fellow Charger. Bull however took it all in stride however, giving a small shrug and winking. "Yeah, I guess we are."

"Mr. Bull, what _is_ sex? Mom and dad never would say."

This time I couldn't hold in my laughter, although I tried to cover it with a cough. Poor Krem's face was purple from the strain of holding it in, and she looked ready to roll onto the ground laughing at Bull's stunned look. He actually looked perplexed on what to say, and looked over at me as if asking for help. His eyes narrowed, and I covered my mouth with a napkin to contain myself as, beside me, Krem laid her forehead on the table, shoulders still shaking.

We must have looked a sight when Cassandra arrived at our table right then. She gave us all narrow-eyed glares, as if annoyed we'd be laughing at a time like this, before looking at me. "We need you to head out with possible rift activity out toward Queens."

That cold dash of reality wasn't quite enough to wipe away my humor, and I bit my lip as Cassandra's glare intensified. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

"So, where we headed?" Bull just grinned as Cassandra leveled him another glare. "Remember, practically indestructible? You totally need me."

The Major looked like she'd bitten into a lemon, but nodded. "You too, then."

"You just want to get out of elementary sex Ed training," I said, barely managing to say the words without laughing. Bull gave me a droll stare but my words were too much for Krem, who fell sideways off her chair in uncontrolled laughter.

Bull turned his glare onto her. "Traitor."

Cassandra's expression was a mixture of befuddlement and exasperation. "Ten minutes then," she said to me, glancing at Krem on the ground and rolling her eyes. She gave Bull and I a nod before turning around and leaving the crowded cafeteria. I watched her go, and waited until the military woman left the double doors before breaking out into peals of laughter. Tears ran down my face and, if I hadn't been holding onto the table, I would have joined Krem on the floor.

I wasn't sure why it was so funny, except it was, and I hadn't had many laughs the last few days. So I let myself enjoy the moment, and eventually even Bull saw the humor. "Not bad, Red," he said, grinning.

I just gave him a thumbs up, unable to speak between heaves of laughter.

Fifteen minutes later, we were headed out of the hospital south across the water toward Long Island. Nobody spoke, too busy keeping eyes on everything around us. It was the first time I'd been off Manhattan since everything had happened, and to be honest I was nervous. Since we'd met Vivienne two days before and learned she had eyes and ears outside our island, I'd heard nothing back about any additional information. If Cassandra knew any more, she hadn't told me.

Sometimes it felt strange being a go-to person for many people, yet so out of the loop otherwise.

The bridge we crossed was full of cars, but there wasn't a soul around. At least, not alive. I stopped looking when I saw still in the drivers seat after the second body we passed. We left them alone, unable to do anything at the moment. The lines of cars were like a time capsule, still in their respective locations when electricity stopped working. Traffic had been bad, but not the panicked rush I'd expect in an evacuation.

"Where did they all go?"

Cassandra shrugged at my question. "Back to the city I would think. There's certainly no reason to stay here."

We proceeded carefully over the bridge, heading east over the water. I'd driven this road before and it was a very different experience on foot. What used to take a few minutes now felt like an eternity. I'd never fully appreciated the size of New York City and its many boroughs until I had to actually _walk_ it.

We had barely reached the end of the bridge when Cassandra signaled a halt with one raised fist. "I saw movement up ahead."

I looked about but saw nothing. "Survivors maybe?"

Her expression was troubled as she unslung the rifle over her shoulder. Around me, the other soldiers did the same, and my heart started beating faster. "Is there something you didn't tell me before?" I asked in a low voice.

"We've had reports of rift activity out in the Crestwood area of Queens, but the scouts we sent haven't returned yet." She glanced sideways at me. "We were hoping they'd clear up some of the refugees' stories from the area. They were...strange."

"Strange, how?"

She didn't answer, just motioned us forward. I might have pressed the issue - I wanted to know if my life was in any more danger than usual - but the other woman's nervousness was contagious. I pulled my katana slowly from the scabbard, wishing I too had a gun or other long range weapon. Even Bull, the biggest mouth around, didn't seem willing to break the silence. When we got back to the hospital, the Major and I were definitely going to talk, but for now I kept my mouth shut and followed quietly behind.

We were off the bridge and just getting into the buildings when I saw the first mutilated body. I looked away quickly, holding back with the other soldiers as Bull and Cassandra moved forward to examine it. The cool fall wind was chilly against my clammy skin as I scanned the area, looking anywhere but _there._

"Wild animals?" Cassandra asked aloud, sounding baffled.

"Doesn't look like any animal bites I've ever seen," Bull replied. "Still, with all these new things popping up, it could have been anything."

Cassandra nodded. "Let's keep moving."

We continued on, picking our way carefully through the littered cars and various debris. This neighborhood had seen more than its share of fighting in recent days. We passed a truck that looked like it'd been firebombed, a blackened husk with the windows blown out. A nearby strip mall was gutted, the flames long since stopped but soot lined everything. The door looked like it had been barricaded from the outside, and I hoped nobody had been trapped inside when it went up in flames.

"What the hell happened here?" Bull muttered, following my gaze.

"No idea," Cassandra said in a low voice, "but we keep moving."

We stuck close to the sides of the road, not wanting to attract any more attention than necessary. The streets were deserted, unnaturally so, but as we got further in the body count began to rise.

Then, things got really weird.

I nearly tripped over it first. I stumbled slightly before catching myself, and instinctively looked back. Immediately, I wished I hadn't. A raggedy skeleton lay between two cars, dried meat still stuck to its bones. Tattered clothing that looked like it had once been a nice suit clung to its form, but everything underneath had long since withered. "What the hell," I burst out, frozen in shock.

"Well, this is new." Bull knelt carefully beside the skeleton, giving it a thorough once-over. "Huh. He's certainly been dead more than a week. Buried too, at least at some point, judging from all the dirt."

"We're pretty close to some of the biggest cemeteries in the state," I said, finally finding my voice again. "Maybe he came from there?"

Cassandra peered over Bull's shoulder. "Gravediggers?"

The big man grunted. "Maybe. But why drag the body here?"

I took a cautious step forward, sword in my hand, and gave the pile of bones a small poke. The mark crackled to life right as the skeleton rattled, the limbs twitching. I stumbled into one of the soldiers in my haste to get away, and both Bull and Cassandra leaped away as the remains before us, impossibly, came to life.

Beside me, Bull swore loudly, but I couldn't take my eyes away as the skull turned slowly toward me. The mark crackled, showing more life than it had in days, and I trembled as those empty sockets peered at me. "Um, guys," I said, licking my lips nervously, "what do I do?"

They didn't answer. When a skeletal arm reached toward me, pushing against the ground to drag itself a few inches my direction, I retreated several steps. The raw sound of bones scraping on asphalt was horrible. "Guys?!"

Cassandra stepped up behind it, drawing her gun and aiming for the skull. It didn't even look at her, empty eye sockets in me, and she pulled the trigger once, twice. The sound of the gun was loud in the unnatural silence, but it seemed to do the trick; the skeleton stopped in its tracks, collapsing to the roadway.

My heart raced as we all stared at the piles of raggedy bones, waiting for them to move again. I could have sworn I saw them twitch, but after a long moment Cassandra put her handgun away. "So," she said in a deadpan voice, "zombies. That's new."

Bull stepped in close and nudged the pile with one toe. The skeleton didn't so much as twitch, but my heart still wouldn't stop. "Who else here doubts this is the only one?"

I swatted his arm. "You're totally not helping," I muttered darkly, and he just grinned at me.

"It didn't move until your mark came alive," Cassandra said, her voice thoughtful as she stared at me.

Heat bloomed in my cheeks. "I swear, I didn't do it." I looked between her and Bull. "Right?"

The other woman looked troubled, but Bull just clapped me on the back. His well-meaning blow staggered me forward a step. "Cheer up, Buttercup," he said cheerfully, pointing a wide thumb at himself, even as his keen gaze darting around us belied his humorous tone. "You're looking at the world's biggest _The Walking Dead_ fan. We got this."

I just looked at him. "Has anyone ever told you your sense of humor sucks?"

He gave me a toothy grin. "Not today."

Peering around, I could see everyone was eager to move on. The soldiers with us gripped their rifles tightly, eyes darting around the street. Cassandra held her gun ready, keeping the handgun pointed down beside her leg. "Let's get to this synagogue and evacuate whoever's still alive."

Bull nudged the pile again with his booted foot. "Undead not included, I take it."

Cassandra gave him a dark look but didn't reply, moving swiftly down the street. I followed, staring at the pile of bones as we passed. There was no logical way that skeleton could possibly be alive, let alone moving. The bones were grey with age, any meat holding the joints together long since rotted free. _Nothing_ held the parts together, and yet what was left had moved as a single whole.

I couldn't wrap my brain around it.

"Who knows," Bull murmured, moving in beside me. "Maybe it was just that one and we got lucky."

"_Lucky_? Really, Bull?"

He shrugged at my glare. "At least it can't get worse."

The whole group stopped in their tracks, staring at him with astonished expressions. "You're enjoying this," Cassandra accused, looking ready to murder the horned man.

"Maybe a little. How often do you get to act out a George Romero flick?"

I shut my mouth with a snap. Walking forward a step, I reached up on my tiptoes and delivered a smack to the back of his head. My palm stung from the blow and I barely missed being scratched by the thin horn tips as he turned to look at me. "You're an ass," I said through gritted teeth as we trudged on.

He flashed me his own pearly whites. "Guilty as charged."

_(end part 1 of Chapter Ten)_

* * *

><p><strong>AUTHOR'S NOTE: <strong>Wow, yes that's a horrible place to stop, but there's a reason.

When I left for my holiday vacation with family, I had about 2k of this story written. I figured, hey, between the nephews and scheduled fun stuff, I could put in a few words here and there to the story in my spare time. My thinking was that, by the end of the month, I'd have myself the next chapter all done and ready to go.

Well. I totally underestimated the draw of The Cute Nephews of Awesome. ;) Words were written, sure, but not enough to fully encompass this chapter. Arg...

Coming home hadn't helped either, as I have other writing deadlines to meet for other (non fanfic) stories. I'm also sweating about taxes, bills that weren't paid while I was gone (gee, thanks babe *sigh*), and...well, I could make excuses galore, but I just couldn't finish the chapter. So, since this story is still getting a lot of eyes and subscribers, I figured I'd go ahead and post what I have so far. Hopefully the rest (which is planned out, I just need to write it) will come back out now that I'm finally getting back on track, but I knew the chapter-a-day I was doing before couldn't be sustained (despite how much I wanted it to because SO MUCH STORY LOVE). :D

A big shout out to all the new followers to this little story, I'm glad you're liking it so far and hope it continues to please! And to those who've been here since the beginning, you just rawk. Seriously hardcore rawking. :-D


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